A Face that Launched a Thousand Ships
by AnonymousDeviant
Summary: Maria Katalina de la Cruz is a simple girl who had led a simple life. But on that fateful day, it all changed. / WARNING: FLUFFY STORY! OC!FemPhilippines Set in an   alternate Universe. Spain x Fem!Philippines x England /HUMAN NAMES USED. Chap.9 LEMON!
1. Chapter 1: Traveller

**This is my first ever fanfic... So please forgive me if I have grammatical errors or such. ; u ; I used my OC Philippines as the protagonist. Hetalia and it's characters belong to Hidekaz Himaurya.**

**Also, please be warned that this story is set in an alternate universe. Also, human names will be used. Please R & R!  
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><p>She was a simple woman who led a simple yet happy life. For all the sixteen years that she has lived, she had never left her hometown. A place, where the beaches were visited by many tourists, and where people led a simple life. She had a perfectly tanned skin complimented by her waist-long black hair cascading down her back. Her chocolate-coloured eyes glistened with adventure and excitement everywhere she went. Her beautiful carefree smile never leaving her cherubic face. This was the appearance of a girl whose face launched a thousand ships. The image of a girl named Maria Katalina dela Cruz.<p>

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><p>She walked towards the isolated beach wearing a simple white spaghetti-strap sundress. Her head was covered with a straw hat with her long hair flowing with the breeze. She took off her slippers and held them as she buried her feet with every step under the warm sand. Nearing the water, she stopped and closed her eyes, letting the warm ocean air brush against her cherubic face.<p>

She threw her slippers on the sand and sat by it. She extended her legs towards the water and let it be soaked by the warm salt water. Her hands brushed away the stray bangs covering her face. She stood up and walked towards the ocean until the water reached up to her thighs. The white sundress was now partly soaked with salt water. She stretched her arms to the side and breathed deeply. "Another beautiful day." She said as she exhaled and brought down her arms.

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><p>He walked endlessly, searching for a way out of the thick tropical forest. His tanned skin glistened with sweat as his brown hair looked like a mess. His clothes were partly ripped because of his arduous journey inside the forest. His green eyes looked everywhere for a way out. After hours of being lost, he heard the sound of crashing waves and smelled the scent of the salt water. He followed its sound and smell desperately searching for the way out.<p>

He brushed the big leaves and bushes away to make way. Finally, he saw the vast ocean just past the coconut trees. With a goofy smile on his face, he hurriedly approached the exit without a care for what he was stepping on. He winced as his green eyes saw the bright sun. He raised his arm and covered his eyes. He walked slowly towards the beach letting his eyes get used to the sudden brightness.

His eyes wandered around to see if nobody was around. To his surprise, a petite woman was already there ahead of him. She wore a white spaghetti-strap sundress with a straw hat on top of her hair. The man could not see her face for it was covered by the hat she wore.

His curiosity got the better of him and made him approach the woman silently. He watched her every graceful move, her sweet angelic smile, and her long black hair being blown by the wind. He found it enchanting; he was attracted to the girl. He noticed her standing up and approaching the water. He watches as her white sundress got partly soaked by the water. Alas, he has finally reached a close distance.

The girl took notice of the foreigner standing just a few meters from her. She tilted her head in confusion and spoke out, "May I help you?" The man did not answer. He had an awed look on his face and his mouth was partly open. He shook his head in attempt to snap out of his daze. "Excuse me, do you know where I am?" he asked regaining his composure. The girl seeing his partly tattered clothes and messy hair walked over to him slowly. "You must be a tourist, am I correct?" she smiled. The man nodded and answered, "Well, I'm actually a traveller. I... got lost in the forest. Then I ended up here."

"Would you like something to eat? My mom is preparing lunch right about now." She offered with a very hospitable smile.

The man smiled back and nodded, "Lunch would be great. Thank you."

The girl collected her things and so did the boy. They walked together with the girl in front leading the man. "Excuse me," the boy began, "May I know what your name is? I'm Antonio by the way, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo." He smiled offering a warm hand to her. The girl turned around and shook his hand, "Maria, Maria Katalina de la Cruz." She smiled and continued walking towards her house. Antonio stared at the hand the girl shook, "Her hand... it's so... soft." He thought smiling to himself.

"Well, we're here!" she exclaimed turning around to show the boy her simple house. It was a two-story house coloured flesh with a simple yet beautiful garden. She walked towards the door and opened it.

"I'm back!" she exclaimed as she got inside the house. Maria turned around to look at the boy who was looking at the garden. "Please, do come in." She offered.

The man nodded in reply and continued his way in the house. "Are you alone in this house?" he asked out of curiosity.

"No," she shook her head, "As I've told you before, I live here with my grandma, and I also have a little brother."

Just in time, a small voice echoed throughout the house saying, "Ate!" Antonio looked across the room to find a small boy with black hair and tanned skin like hers running towards the female in front of him. "Ate?" he thought.

"Spratly!" she beamed a smile towards the boy and knelt down to his size to welcome him with a hug. The boy tackled her with a hug, wrapping his small arms around her neck. "I missed you ate!" he said, tears appearing in the corner of his eyes. "I missed you too, Spratly."

Antonio tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Why did they miss each other? I thought the lived together." He thought.

"Oh!" the girl turned back to face the man once again, "This is Spratly! He's my little brother." Spratly glanced at Antonio then back to his sister, "Ate, I don't like him." He said as he puffed his cheeks and pouted. Maria looked at the little boy and patted his head, "Spratly, don't be like that. This is Antonio, he's a traveller! Be sure to get along well with him, okay?" she gave him a reassuring smile then walked towards what seemed to be the dining room.

The two boys were left alone. Antonio glanced at Spratly who was in turn glaring at him. "H-Hello... I'm Antonio, nice to meet you." He smiled goofily. Spratly continued glaring at the man then abruptly turned his head to the side.

"I don't like you! Don't you dare steal my sister away from me." He spouted then walked away from the man who was now nervously laughing.

"What a weird family..."

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><p><strong>T-There's the first chapter... ; u ;<strong>

**Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2: Birthday

**Ffffuuuuu~ Second chapter! ; u ;**

**Thank you to all those who liked the first one. **

**Again: Axis powers Hetalia and it's characters belong to Hidekaz Himaruya.**

**Philippines belongs to me.**

**Human names are used and this is set in an alternate universe. Enjoy! Please R & R!  
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><p>Maria told him to take a bath first to freshen himself before they would eat lunch. She had prepared the bath for him then made her way back to the kitchen. Antonio took the offer and also took his time in scrubbing his body thoroughly. He had been out in the forest for quite some time. He was only able to bathe in rivers and other bodies of water he stumbled upon.<p>

After a few minutes, he came out of the bathroom wearing a white polo shirt and brown pants that was matched by a pair of black boots reaching just below his knee. His hair was dripping wet and his polo shirt was half unbuttoned. He dried his hair with the towel he brought with him then went straight down to where Maria was.

"Oh! You're done." She smiled at him as she prepared the table for lunch. She was carrying a tray of plates and dining utensils. Antonio noticed this and walked beside the girl. "Let me help you with that." He offered.

"N-No need! I can manage!" Maria insisted thinking it rude for a guest to do her chores.

"I insist! It is the only thing I can do to repay your kindness."Antonio smiled reassuringly making the girl frown a bit and give in to his demand. She handed the tray to the man then helped him set the table.

He glanced at her as they were both preparing the table. "Maria?" he began.

"Yes?" Maria faced him with a beaming smile.

"What did you and Spratly mean by that 'I missed you'? I mean, did you leave him for quite a while?" he asked curiously. She chuckled hearing his question.

"Spratly went on a month's vacation at out Aunt's house in the capital. He just returned this morning." She replied calmly. Antonio nodded in understanding. "Sorry if I sound like someone intruding your personal life even though we just met."

"Oh!" she looked at the man then shook her head, "No, it's fine, really. So, where did you come from Antonio?" His eyes widened at the question. "W-Well..." he started nervously, "it's somewhere really far. I think you don't really know the place."

"Come on, please tell me? I'll look for it in the map!" she joked.

"W-Well... uh... it's—"his reply was cut short when an old woman's voice sounded from the kitchen.

"Maria! Maria, dear, please go get Spratly so we can eat." The old woman commanded through the kitchen. The girl answered with a loud yes then went out to where the little boy was—at the garden.

Antonio watched as she went outside to call for the little boy. He wondered if this was their daily routine. He prepared the table for dinner then went into the kitchen after that. As he passed through the door of the kitchen, he saw an old four-eyed woman with greying hair and hunched back. She wore a plain old woman dress with a pink apron on top. The old woman turned around and saw the man standing behind her. Her chapped lips pulled up into a smile as her dark brown eyes lay on the green orbs of the man opposite to hers.

"You must be Antonio, Maria's new friend." She began, wiping her hands on her apron. Antonio nodded and smiled politely, "Yes, I am Antonio. You must be her grandmother." The old woman smiled, "Yes, please call me Corazon." She removed her apron and placed it on a hanger. "May I ask a favour of you? If it's alright, that is." Antonio walked towards the pot of hot soup.

"What is it, dear?" Corazon took out a pitcher of cold water from the refrigerator.

Antonio lifted the pot, "Well..."

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><p>"Let's pray first." Corazon clasped her hands together in a praying position. Spratly raised his hand and waved it vigorously, "I want to lead!" Maria giggled and clasped her hands together then nodded to Spratly telling him to start. Maria's attention was then transferred to the traveller across her seat. He didn't know what to do. Maria waved at him and told him to put his hands together and join in the prayer. Antonio placed his hands together in front of his chest.<p>

Spratly then started with the sign of the cross, "Almighty Father, thank you for this bountiful meal that we are about to receive. Thank you for the opportunity you have given us to eat with our loved ones. May more blessings come our way as we face the rest of the day with huge smiles upon our face. Amen." The prayer ended again with the sign of the cross.

"Let's eat!" Maria clapped her hands happily and started giving Spratly some soup.

"Maria..." the old woman began, "I wish to inform you something." Maria stopped what she was doing and faced the old woman.

"What is it, grandma?" she smiled in question, tilting her head to the side. The old woman glanced at Antonio who then nodded in reply.

"Antonio is going to stay here in our house for a while, is that alright with you?" Corazon told her calmly. Maria's eyes widened at the news but it was only for a split-second. "O-Of course it's fine! Why would it not be?" she smiled.

Antonio released a small breath of relief hearing that the girl had no problem with him staying there. All of a sudden, Spratly threw his utensils on the ground and stood up, "No! I do not agree to this! I don't want him staying in our house!" After that, he ran off towards his room—angry.

"Spratly!" Maria called out to him then ran after the little boy. The old woman and Antonio were left alone in the dining room. Corazon released a distressed sigh; she could not believe Spratly would disagree. Antonio looked at her with disappointed yet curious eyes. "I'm so sorry for how Spratly acted, Antonio. He was never like that—just now." She pinched the bridge of her nose in trying to lessen the headache she felt.

Antonio shrugged, "N-No, it's fine. I can understand." Then he smiled reassuringly. "Thank you for understanding; I will talk about this with Spratly later."

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><p>A few weeks had passed since Antonio stayed in the house of a girl he met coincidentally on the beach. Every day they would walk by the beach while talking about each other's life. Antonio had grown attached to Maria and so did she.<p>

"You know," he began, "I just realized that I never asked how old you are." Maria giggled at the shallowness of the man's question, "So did I. I'm 16. I will be turning 17 on the 12th of June."

The man began counting on his fingers, "Wait! That's... 3 days from now!" he exclaimed in surprise. "Why didn't you say so? I could've prepared a gift for you!" he pouted childishly. They kept walking by the beach, side by side, laughing at almost anything.

"You don't need to, you know." Maria smiled, "Just tell me how old you are and when your birthday is!" she childishly walked in front of him and grinned. The man's face heated up instantly. He turned his head to the side to hide his red face. "I'm 18... My birthday's on the 12th of February."

"Heeeeh... We both have our birthdays on the 12th!" she smiled and twirled around, playing with the sand on her feet. Antonio stood where he was—dumbfounded. Just now did he realize how much he loves her. She was the kindest, the most gentle, most caring, most loving, and the most beautiful person he ever laid his green orbs upon. Though they both know she's not perfect; she is, for him.

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><p>It was Monday, June 12—Maria's birthday. She already turned 17. "Happy 17th Birthday, Maria!" Antonio greeted her happily with his infamous goofy smile. Maria's cheeks turned red, she smiled gratefully and replied with a 'Thank you.'<p>

Spratly was crying hard on one corner of the room. "What's wrong, Spratly?" the man asked, tapping the shoulder of the crying boy. "A-Ate... she..." he tried to speak, choking in sobs in between. Antonio cocked his head to the side, "What's wrong with Maria?"

"She's going to the capital tomorrow. She'll be gone for a long time!" Spratly burst out in tears, even harder than how he cried before Antonio talked to him. "I'm sure she'll come back early." He gave him a reassuring smile.

Spratly glared at him, "You don't understand! She's going to live there! She's never coming back."

His heart broke as soon as the boy finished his sentence. How? Why? His mind was filled with questions.

"Yes, it's true." A voice from behind the boys was heard. Antonio turned around to find Maria standing by the door frame with moist eyes.

"Why? Aren't you happy here?" Antonio asked—hurt.

"I am, in fact, very happy. There are just some things I need to attend to." She smiled weakly, her tears slowly running down her cherubic face.

"Then, why leave?" he asked, thinking that talking might change her mind.

"I have neglected a promise. I am to fulfill it." She forced a smile, yet her eyes kept tearing up. "I'll come visit!" she tried to brighten up the mood.

Antonio kept his eyes on the ground. His whole being was swallowed by disappointment and heart break. He lifted his face, meeting her hazel eyes. "I understand."

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><p><strong>T-There... second chapter! ; u ;<strong>

**I hope you like it! Hopefully, next chapter, Arthur will appear! **


	3. Chapter 3: Smile

**Hello again. ; u ; Thank you to all the people who likes this story. **

**This is the third chapter, the chapter most of you have been waiting for.**

**I am just an amateur so... sorry if there are errors... **

**Again, Axis Powers Hetalia belong to Hidekaz Himaruya.**

**Philippines belongs to me.**

**Setting: Alternate universe**

**Parings: Spain x Philippines x England**

**R & R Please. ; u ;**

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><p>"I want you to wear this always." He wrapped his arms around her neck, slowly locking the necklace. Immediately after putting it, he removed his arms from around her neck, placing it at his sides. She looked down on the pendant; it was a cross pendant—a silver one.<p>

"Are you sure?" she asked, grasping the pendant tightly. The man nodded in response and then gave her a gleeful grin. "It's so I can find you easily. I'll come for you, Maria." The corner of her eyes began welling with tears; Maria nodded in reply then wrapped her arms around the man's body.

"Thank you, Antonio." She whispered, choking in sobs. Antonio closed his eyes, returning the hug to the girl. "You're always welcome."

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><p>He woke up with the soft, warm rays of the morning sun spilling in his room. Through a four-paned window, the morning sun entered, every day felt like heaven; the soft chirping of the birds, the warm sun, the breath taking view from the window, and the feeling of being close to your loved one.<p>

Antonio hurriedly sat up; his white blanket fell to his lap revealing his six pack abs. His hair was a mess, his eyes still a bit closed, yet he did not mind this. The first thing, or rather person, who entered his mind, was Maria.

Shit! Did she leave already? What time is it? Is she still here? I hope I can still see her off! Thoughts rushed into his mind endlessly. He scrambled up his bed picking up a white polo shirt hanging by the chair. Hurriedly wearing the polo, he stumbled upon the side table; a note fell from it addressed to Antonio.

He saw the note and wondered who it was from and what was inside it. Antonio bent down to reach the note and opened it:

_Antonio,_

_I'm sorry for leaving without waking you up. I entered your room to say goodbye but I saw that you were in a deep slumber. I didn't want to wake you up, so I wrote this letter. Please do not worry about me; I will be in good hands, that, I assure you. Take care of Spratly and grandma for me, please. I don't know when I'll be able to visit… or even come back. I will send letters, I promise. Thank you again for everything. Take care._

_-Maria_

His eyes widened in disbelief. He was not able to neither bid her farewell nor see her off. The man fell down his bed, eyes wide in shock. He was too late, his beloved one left without saying goodbye to him. His heart broke; the day became gloomy for him no matter how much the sun shone.

"Maria…"

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><p>For her, it seemed like forever to travel from the countryside to the capital. It was her first time leaving the place she grew up in. The road was bumpy, she was shook hard, and she felt a bit dizzy. She looked outside the carriage's window, endless rice fields was to be seen. Farmers working all day, slaving away for the sake of others; it was ironic.<p>

Her hazel eyes glided through the scenery, looking at every detail carefully. Observing all the people her hazel eyes glided through, she remembered a certain someone—someone special. Maria smiled to herself as she remembered how he looked like. Her eyes showed glee as she kept thinking of him

"I wonder how he is…"

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><p>"My king, it is time for breakfast." A servant brought in a tray full of breakfast meals. "Ah, yes." He sat up from his bed, positioning himself for the breakfast he was about to take. He had a sandy blonde hair which was still quite a mess since he just got up. His skin was as fair as porcelain, and his jade orbs complemented his fair skin and blonde hair. But of course, nobody is perfect, he too, has flaws, he had thick brows which were always mistaken for caterpillars. Despite looking like a mess, he was dashing.<p>

Every woman who he has interacted with fell in love with his appearance. Though dashing, he was quite the hard-headed man. He kept going with what he wants and likes being the protagonist all the time. Nobody knows the real him—nobody except her.

Usually, he woke up every single morning with either a scowl or a huge pout. His thick brows were usually meeting at the middle. Today though was different, he woke up with a huge smile on his face; a smile which no one except her has ever seen. His mood was so happy that it is as if flowers are about to pop out of nowhere behind him.

"I-It's quite creepy seeing the king like that…" a male servant whispered to a female servant beside him. "I have to disagree with you." She answered, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks, "He looks even more dashing!" The male servant sweat dropped, "W-Well… If you say so… But it's still creepy…"

The noble man looked at the direction of the servants who were whispering, "I would like you to prepare the best lunch we have later." He commanded, clapping his hands as if telling them to go do it now. The servants bowed and left the king alone in his private quarters. Once again, he smiled to himself, "I want to see her now."

He stood up and walked to the window, staring at the vast lands outside of his window. "It has been… 5 years, Maria."

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><p>"Bloody-!" a little boy with sandy blonde hair, jade orbs, and thick brows hung from a cliff. "Damn…H-Help!" he shouted in his loudest voice, desperate to find someone who will be able to help him. A few seconds later, he heard a rustling sound coming from the forest he was just in.<p>

A black-haired girl with hazel eyes popped her head towards the cliff. "Ah!" she screamed, "H-Hold on!" she reached out a small hand in attempt to help the little boy up. The little boy grabbed the girl's hand and pulled himself up as the girl held onto a tree. She was small, but she was strong. Her face winced in pain as her hands felt sore from grabbing onto the tree which had a rough trunk.

Her face showed stress and desperateness to help the little boy up. At last, the boy was able to climb up to where she stood. They both fell on the ground—panting. The little girl had deep uneven breaths; she sat on her bottom with her legs extending forward. She wore a simple pink dress inside and a red hoodie connected to a cape outside, matched with a pair of red boots. One might say her outfit looks a lot like red-riding hood's outfit.

The boy was also breathing heavily. He sat in front of her gasping for air. The little boy wore a white polo shirt matched with brown horse-riding pants. He had boots reaching just below his knees.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked, crawling closer beside him. Slowly, she reached out her hand to tap the little boy's shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" he slapped her hand away. The little girl held her slapped hand near her chest; her face showed fragility and horror. The corners of her eyes welled up in tears. The little boy's eyes widened as he saw this.

"I-I am sorry…" he said in a low voice, "I was just… shocked." He turned his head away in embarrassment. Slowly, the little boy stood up and patted the dust away from his clothing. "Please forgive my rudeness." He reached out a hand to her, helping her to stand up.

The little girl took his hand happily and pulled herself up. She smiled at him, "Hello, you must be new here. I'm Maria Katalina dela Cruz! But you can call me Maria. What's your name?" she reached out a hand to him.

"Arthur. Arthur Kirkland." He said proudly as he shook the girl's hand. He smiled at her a gentle smile—a smile no one has seen.

"Are you hungry, Arthur?" she asked out of the blue. Arthur was surprised at the question; though he cannot deny that he was indeed hungry. "Y-Yes…" he replied shyly.

"I have with me some sandwiches! You want some? They're delicious!" the little girl said picking up a basket. "Y-Yes please…" he answered with a bit of hesitation at first.

"Awww… No need to be shy Arthur! We're friends, right?" Maria grinned hugely. Arthur's face turned a faint pink as he heard the little girl say this. "Y-Yes… I guess we are." He chuckled.

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><p><strong>Fuuuu~ okay... XD That was how they met. :3<strong>

**I hope you liked it. ; u ;**

**I don't know when I'll be able to update again since it's exam week, but I'll try writing the next chapter when I have time. **

**Kiddie Arthur is soooo cute! And Tsundere! w **

**Thanks for taking the time to read this story.**


	4. Chapter 4: Tree

**The fourth chapter~ ; u ; A UKPH chapter XD**

**Again, thank you for all those who liked this story. :)**

**WARNING: Set in an alternate universe.**

**Pairings: Spain x Philippines x England **

**Axis Powers Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya.**

**Philippines belongs to me.**

**R & R please.**

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><p>"A-Are you sure we're at the right place?" she asked the coachman. Outside the Hansom cab she rode in, she could see a huge palace just a few miles away. It was grand and it was really a place fit for a king. "Yes ma'am. I am a very sure that this is where you are headed." The coachman answered, still driving the carriage. The carriage continued to travel the now smooth road of the capital.<p>

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><p>"Your majesty, pardon me for the intrusion." The head butler of the royal family entered the private quarters of the king. "Yes, yes. What is it?" he asked in an impatient tone. He was sitting in a chair by the window; overlooking the whole city. "Your guest has arrived." He replied with a smile. The man immediately stood up as he heard the news. "Where is she?" he asked, excitement written all over his being. "She is waiting at the lobby, your majesty." The butler bowed as the king passed by him in glee.<p>

The king rushed down from his quarters to the lobby. There, he saw a girl with long black hair, and a perfect tanned skin complemented by her hazel eyes. She wore an off-shoulder dress with which the hem reached a few inches below her knees. There was also a cross necklace hanging around her neck. The girl stood in the middle of the huge lobby, her eyes wandering in awe.

"Maria!" an unfamiliar voice called her from the top of the stairs. Quickly, she turned around to see who it was calling her. Her eyes widened as the person calling out to her hastily hugged her as soon as they came in contact. "A-Arthur?" she asked, her brows buried in curiosity. "Yes, it's me, Maria. I missed you so." The man replied tightening his hug around the petite girl. She giggled at the man's affection, "I missed you too, idiot." Maria hugged back.

He broke off the hug and held her hands tightly, "Come, it's time for lunch. Let's eat first before we get too busy with talking ourselves." He smiled. Maria nodded and smiled in reply, "Yes, I am quite hungry." The man led her to the dining room which was just down the long corridor.

He opened a grand door revealing a long dining table with only two chairs—one on each end. The table was full of delicious and aromatic feasts. If one was to see it, their tummy would grumble for sure. He guided her to the chair nearest to them and pulled it out for her. She smiled and thanked the man before sitting. After letting the girl sit, he went to the opposite side to sit in his own chair. "Let's eat." He smiled at her from the other side of the table.

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><p>"It's been 5 years, huh?" he chuckled. They walked around the palace garden—holding each other's hands. The girl giggled, "At first I wasn't able to recognize your voice. It grew deeper; you used to have a squeaky voice!"<p>

"H-Hey! That was before! I'm a man now." He pouted childishly. They stopped and sat by the lake. The water was crystal clear; it shone brightly as the sun's rays reached it. The day was harmonious; everything was in balance. Maria sat by the grass with her legs folded beside her. Arthur rested his head on the girl's lap. Her hands played with the blonde strands of his hair. He closed his eyes, feeling relaxed by the girl's presence. "I didn't know you were of royal blood. Why didn't you tell me before?" she began.

"I was afraid that you might not see me the same way anymore." He replied, slowly opening his eyes to stare at the bright blue sky. Maria placed her left hand on top of Arthur's eyes, "Why would I?" she smiled. Arthur moved her hand away from his eyes and held it tightly, "I don't know..." he answered, his jade orbs were wandering around the lake.

"Did we not promise to always be together?" the girl smiled reassuringly. The blonde man chuckled, "Of course, we promised." The breeze blew softly, brushing past them gently as they told stories about themselves. "Remember that tree back home?" the girl asked giggling.

"What tree?"Arthur replied in question cocking a thick eyebrow up. "I can't believe you forgot!" the girl puffed her cheeks and her brows met at the middle in a sort of slight anger. "W-Wait! I'll try to remember it." He closed his eyes and began thinking of what she said. Tree... Tree... Tree... Which tree was it? His face showed a slight disturbed expression because of his forgetfulness. Maria sighed in defeat, "I'm quite surprised that you can't remember."

"I'm sorry; I had a lot in my mind." Arthur apologized. "It's alright though, I understand." Maria shook her head still with a smile.

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><p>Three knocks from their front door was heard, "Coming!" the old lady rushed to the door and opened it immediately. Standing in front of their house was a small blonde boy wearing a front-buttoned blouse and loose trousers. He hid a bouquet of flowers behind him which was still pretty obvious. "Good morning, ma'am. May I please talk to Maria?" he greeted with his eyes looking down to hide his flushed expression from the old lady's view.<p>

The old lady smiled, "Yes, of course. Would you like to come inside?" The boy's head popped up quickly, he shook his head vigorously, "No need! It's fine." The old lady giggled, "If you say so, please wait here." She went inside and called out for the little girl.

The little boy heard the girl's reply, his face flushed in embarrassment. Soon, he heard footsteps getting closer to the front door. He swallowed the lump in his throat and prepared himself.

"Yes?" the door opened wider revealing a little girl with black hair reaching up to her shoulders, her big hazel eyes stared at the person in front of her. "Arthur!"

Arthur's face turned a deep red; his grip on the flowers became tighter. He told himself that he'll be able to do it. After inhaling and exhaling deeply, he handed her a bouquet full of blue roses and white jasmines. "F-For... y-you..." he stuttered. Maria took the flowers happily, "Thank you!"

"N-No, thank you for saving me yesterday..." he added, a faint blush forming on his porcelain cheeks. Maria chuckled at the little boy's shyness, "Let's play!" She ran inside the house and placed the flowers on a vase, then ran back to the little boy. The little girl grabbed the blonde boy's hand, "Come on!" she grinned and pulled the little boy with her. "Where are we going?" the little boy asked.

She laughed, "To my favourite place!" They kept running through the woods, finally, after 3 minutes or so of running, they had reached the beach. "We're here!" she said turning around to face the boy with a huge smile. The boy's eyes widened in awe as he saw the beach's white sand and clear blue water, "Beautiful..." he said in a whisper.

"I know!" the girl replied excitedly, twirling around in glee. "This is where I always stay!" she grasped the boy's hand and began pulling him towards the water. "W-Wait!" Arthur tried to slow Maria down. The way their feet dug down the fine white sand felt good. The sand was warm and was as fine as powder.

Maria ran on the water, splashing the cold salt water with every step on Arthur. "H-Hey!" Arthur covered his face with his small hands, "No fair!" Maria kept splashing water on the blonde boy. She kept laughing as she continued her splashing. Both of their outfits were now soaking wet with salt water.

Arthur saw an opening as Maria got slower and slower with every splash. "Got 'ya!" he said with pride then splashed back on the little girl. She screamed as the cool salt water hit her. The little girl ran to the opposite direction of where her playmate was—avoiding his splashes. "No fair! You're running away!" the blonde chased after the little girl who was running faster than he was.

"Catch me if 'ye can!" she shouted back imitating a pirate accent. Arthur laughed as he heard her lame accent, "Pfft... What a lame imitation!" The little girl stopped on her tracks and faced the little boy with puffed cheeks, "Shut up! That's why it's called 'imitating' an accent."

"Well, it's a bloody lame imitation." He laughed bending down and resting his hands on his knee cap. The girl turned away abruptly, briskly walking away from the lad.

"Hahaha! Wait, Maria... haha... I'm sorry! Hahaha! I won't make fun of it... pfft... again!" he tried apologizing though it sounded insincere since he kept laughing as he said those words. The little girl continued walking away from him briskly. Finally, Arthur regained his composure and ran towards the little girl, "Wait for me!"

Maria, hearing the splash of his every footstep, began running. "Wait, Maria, I'm sorry!" Arthur chased after her, extending out a hand in attempt to grab her. Their distance got wider and wider, Arthur began panting—catching his breath with every inhale. Finally, Maria stopped and turned around to look at Arthur who was panting heavily. "F-Finally... you stopped!" he said in between breaths. Maria laughed at the sight of the boy sweating all over and panting heavily.

"Payback!" she grinned. Arthur was caught in a surprise; he could not believe she fooled him, and that he was fooled. "W-What the—"he said, his jaw dropping a bit. "You should see the look on your face!" she laughed. Arthur scowled and began walking to the shore. He sat down and relaxed for a bit. Maria followed him and sat beside him, "We're even!" she smiled playfully.

They both let out a sigh as they stopped laughing. "Arthur," Maria faced the boy beside her, "how old are you?" she asked out of curiosity. "Eight. You?" he answered indifferently. "Six!" she grinned as she formed out the number six using her fingers. The boy's eyes widened, "Ah, I see."

* * *

><p>A few years had passed; Arthur was now 13, and Maria, 11. They always played together; they were the best of friends. One day, Arthur came to Maria's house just like the usual. He knocked three times then the door opened—it was Maria.<p>

"Morning Arthur!" she greeted happily. The boy smiled and handed her a bouquet of red and blue roses. It was like a ritual to Arthur—to give Maria bouquets whenever he comes. Maria accepted them and placed them in a vase just like usual. "Maria," he mustered up his courage to speak, "I... I would like to show you somewhere, will you come with me?"

Maria looked at the boy who had the colour pink tainting his porcelain cheeks, "Of course! Let's go?" Maria went with Arthur towards the upper part of the forest. They trekked for about 30 minutes just to reach the place.

"Here we are." said Arthur, leading Maria to a dead end. From where they were standing, you could see the vast lands and ocean. The sun was not directly shining upon the spot so it made the spot a bit cool. The eyes of the girl widened in awe. She found herself being eaten up by the beauty of the place. "Do you like it?" Arthur asked.

"Do I like it? I love it, Arthur!" she replied with a carefree smile making Arthur smile also. "I'm glad you liked it."

Maria stared at the view with a huge grin on her face. There was silence between them for a minute. "Look at this." Arthur broke the silence. He was standing beside a huge tree, "You should do the same."

Maria approached the boy, "Do what too?" Then she saw the trunk of the tree, there was 'Arthur' written on it. Maria giggled at the sight, "Okay!" She took a rock from the ground and began writing on the tree too.

"There! I'm done." She smiled, wiping the sweat trickling down her forehead.

"Let me see?" Arthur approached the trunk and read what was written on it—'Arthur and Maria' Arthur chuckled, "I think it should be a heart" he thought. "Give me the stone you used." He reached out his hand. The girl handed the stone over to the boy. The blonde carved again on the tree. "What did you add?" the girl asked curiously.

Arthur moved away from the trunk with a smile, "See for yourself." Maria walked over to the trunk and read: Arthur (heart) Maria

They both blushed as Maria read it. She giggled, "Well then," she stuck out her pinky finger, "Together forever?"

Arthur nodded and wrapped his pinky around Maria's, "Promise."

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><p><strong>FFFFUUUU~ Another finished chapter! I did this yesterday so it was quite fast. <strong>

**This chapter focuses more on their childhood years~ **

**The next one? Well... I guess it's about how they got separated? XD**

**Anyways... I hope you liked it. ; u ;**

**BTW, I have a DeviantArt account, so for those interested, please PM me. :) Thank you. **


	5. Chapter 5: Mother Queen

**I'm sorry if you think I update too fast... ; u ;**

**Anyways... I'm so sorry if I'm not able to reply to your reviews. Please continue reviewing even though I barely reply, I enjoy reading them. :) **

**This chapter focuses on their separation... Please tell me if you're all getting tired of the flashbacks and such... ; u ;**

**WARNING: Set in an Alternate Universe. Pairings: Spain x Philippines x England**

**Axis Powers Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya**

**Philippines belongs to me.**

**Enjoy! R & R please. ; u ;**

* * *

><p>"Found him!"<p>

"Run, Maria!"

"Arthur, I can't… my legs… they hurt…"

* * *

><p>A few hours before…<p>

"Maria…" he said in a gentle voice.

"Yes?" she smiled.

"When we grow up; when we reach the right age, I will propose to you." He said directly, looking straight in the eyes of the little girl in front of him. The girl blushed, "S-So soon?"

The older boy held her hands tightly, "That's why it's in the future, I'm giving you time to decide." The girl nodded but kept her eyes on their hands. He gave her a kiss on the forehead, "I love you."

* * *

><p>They sat by the spot Arthur told her—laughing happily. A few minutes later, they heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes just behind them. They both stared at the bushes. "Must be a rabbit." The little boy said trying to sound unbothered by it. Maria shrugged then laughed, "Yeah… I hope it comes to us!"<p>

"Found him!" a man wearing the British military uniform jumped out of the bushes. "Bloody-!" Arthur stood up in surprise. Then, another man jumped out of the bushes, "You have nowhere to go now." The man laughed evilly. "Who are they, Arthur?" Maria asked in confusion and fright.

"Come with me!" he pulled her up and began running away from the men. "W-Wait… A-Arthur? What's wrong?" she asked, trying to catch up with Arthur's steps. "They're evil!" he answered in a hurry.

"You can't escape us!" one of the men behind them shouted. They kept running for a straight thirty minutes. Arthur's breathing became heavier; Maria's legs were aching. They began to slow down and both men were getting closer.

"Run, Maria!" he shouted, trying to encourage her to run faster.

"Arthur, I can't… my legs… they hurt…" she replied with heavy uneven breaths. Finally, her legs gave way and she couldn't help but fall on the ground. "Maria!" he shouted, going over to the girl who was sitting on the ground. "Are you alright?"

"Go, Arthur. Leave me, go somewhere safe!" she commanded, worrying for the older boy more than for her. "I can't leave you here!" Arthur replied almost angrily. Soon, the two men chasing them reached the other two.

"Heh, got you." One of them said proudly smirking. The other one approached the blonde boy and grabbed both his arms. "Oww! Stop it! Let go of me! Take off your bloody hands off of me!" he fought back with all is might; unfortunately, the man holding him was stronger. "Don't struggle anymore; no one will get hurt if you don't struggle." The man holding him off answered indifferently.

"Arthur!" Maria called out. "Tch! Shut up little girl!" the other man snarled at the girl and kicked her stomach. She coughed and rolled over the ground. "Don't hurt her!" Arthur growled, "She has nothing to do with this!" The man smirked, "If you say so, Your Highness" mocking the little boy.

Maria's eyes became blurry; her head met the ground, her whole body lying down on the ground. "Let's go." The man commanded. The two men left with the other one holding Arthur by the arms. In Maria's vision, it was a bit blurry. She just saw them walking away while holding Arthur who had a scowl. Her eyes began tearing up—then, she slowly lost consciousness.

"I'm sorry Maria," Arthur turned around to look at the unconscious girl, "I'll come back for you, I promise."

* * *

><p>A loud slap was heard throughout the whole room. "Where did you go?" the angry woman asked. "Somewhere you don't bloody know." Arthur answered. "You do know what your role is in this society!" the woman roared. Arthur kept his eyes on the ground.<p>

"You missed the marriage proposal the Bonnefoy family offered!" the woman angrily walked over to the chair and sat down. "You have to get married by the age of eighteen! That's why we're doing this. Do this for the sake of our country—your country." The woman sighed in defeat then pinched the bridge of her nose, "Why are you being so stubborn, Arthur? Where did I go wrong?"

Arthur smirked, "Don't worry, I have found the person I want to marry. She is the only person I would agree to marry to." The woman's eyes widened at the news, "Who is she?"

"You'll know at the right time, Mother Queen."

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><p>"Oh! I remember that tree now!" Arthur sat up immediately as soon as he remembered the tree Maria was talking about. "You do? That's great!" Maria giggled, "Do you remember what's written on it?" Arthur blushed, "O-Of course… I do." The girl laughed, finding the man's shyness adorable, "You were the one who wrote it, why be embarrassed?" she teased.<p>

"I-I'm not embarrassed!" he stuttered. "Hoo… really? Then why is your face red? And why are you stuttering?" she laughed. "I'm not! It must be the heat!" he reasoned out. The girl stood up and dusted her dress, "If you say so, your majesty." She smiled. Arthur followed and also stood up, "Please don't call me that. It's awkward."

"Shall we go back?" he asked, reaching out a hand to her in a gentlemanly way. She took the hand and walked beside him, "Yes."

* * *

><p>"Good night, Arthur." She gave the man a smile after she had finished her dinner and stood up. Arthur approached her, took her hand and kissed it, "Good night, Maria."<p>

She proceeded to her room, leaving the man standing by the stairs. He went to his own quarters and took out his night outfit. He wore a white polo that had long sleeves and left the front unbuttoned. He had comfortable black pants which were worn with garter. He sat by his bedside and took out a small notebook, then, he began writing:

Looks like I wasn't able to introduce you to her mother queen, but I assure you, she is a very worthy person to be my bride. I will go anywhere with her, I won't let anything happen to her. I will fight to win her love and I will love her with all of my life. She may not be as rich as the other families, but she is rich in love.

He closed the notebook and set it aside the table. He blew the candle and fell back to his pillow—pulling up the sheet, he closed his eyes and fell sound asleep.

The next day, Arthur and Maria had decided to go to the nearby grasslands to have a picnic. Maria prepared all their food and Arthur commanded the guards to just stay behind and let them be. They rode a Hansom cab on their way to the said grassland.

Soon, they reached the plains, "Come on, slowpoke!" she called out happily. "H-How come you can walk that far… and still have so much energy, woman?" he said tiredly, catching his breath with every step. His skin glistened with sweat, yet it was not that obvious since he had a fair skin. She laughed and skipped beside Arthur, "I grew up near the forest! I explore it everyday!" she said, full of energy.

"Yeah… you're a mountain climber… how can I forget?" he said sarcastically—laughing. "Yes I am!" she said proudly, going along with the sarcasm.

* * *

><p>He stared out the window of the horse-carriage he rode in. His eyes had boredom written all over them. His chin was resting on his palm; his elbow was on top of the window's ledge. "Are we there yet?" he asked impatiently. "No, but we're near, brother." The girl across him answered with a slight smile.<p>

He sighed and looked out the window again. This time, he saw a familiar looking blonde man sitting beside an unfamiliar looking girl with long black hair tied up in a ponytail. His blue eyes widened as he saw the once 'arrogant man' laughing—with a girl.

"Stop the carriage!"

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><p><strong>Oh my! Who can these mystery people be? XD <strong>

**Thank you for reading this chapter. ; u ;**

**I hope you're in for more! **


	6. Chapter 6: Old Acquaintance

**Fuuu... Took me longer to update this time! Pretty busy with school and stuff... so sorry.**

**WARNINGS: Set in an Alternate Universe. Pairings: Spain x Philippines x England**

**Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya**

**Philippines belongs to me.**

**R & R please.**

* * *

><p>"Come on, Arthur! Tell me what you said!" she pleaded him with huge puppy eyes. "I can't, it's a secret." He calmly said, looking into the horizon with a slight smile. His hands were stretched behind him, supporting his sitting position. She plopped her hands in front of her, "No fair!"<p>

"Ah~ Mon Cherie, what a coincidence to see you here!" a voice very familiar to the gentleman spoke behind them. "It's nice to see you again, Arthur." This time, a female voice spoke out. Arthur, hearing the familiar voices, immediately stood up and covered the girl he was with from the view of the new arrivals. "I never expected to see you here, what might you be doing in my country?" Arthur asked with a spark of displease in his jade orbs.

"Ohonhonhon~ calm down, mon Cherie. I just saw you with a girl when we were passing by. I just wanted to greet you!" the man opposite to Arthur spoke. He had long, wavy blonde hair matched with a pair of navy blue eyes. The man held a rose in his hand and wore a purple tailcoat. "Yes, hello Arthur." The girl beside the blonde man spoke. She had a tanned skin almost similar to that of Maria's only darker. Her brown hair was tied up into two pigtails; she wore a blue dress which complemented her brown eyes.

"Who are they, Arthur?" the girl behind Arthur finally spoke up—still sitting behind Arthur. As soon as the other blonde man heard the girl's voice, he laughed like a perverted, "Won't you introduce us to the belle fille behind you?" Arthur clicked his tongue and his brows met at the middle. Maria stood up and tapped Arthur's shoulder making him a little relaxed. "Arthur, what's wrong?" she asked.

Arthur turned his head around to look at the girl then back to the two unwanted guests. He stepped beside and held Maria's hand. "Shellie, this is Maria, Maria—Shellie." The brunette curtsied while Maria smiled in return. Arthur sighed and faced the other blonde man who had a perverted look on his face, "Bloody frog, Maria. Maria, bloody frog." He introduced rudely, holding the girl's hand tightly. "Arthur, that's not nice." She pouted cutely, tugging the man's hand a bit. In a flash, the bloody frog made his way in front of Maria, "Vous êtes la plus belle fille que j'ai jamais vu." He reached out for her hand and kissed it. The girl's head tilted in confusion, "Excuse me?"

"I said, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen." He winked at her as he repeated his sentence. Maria became flustered and turned a beet red. Arthur snapped, pulling the girl's hand away from the other blonde's. "Aww... don't be such a kill joy Artie." The blonde man whined. Arthur scowled and crossed his arms in front of him, "Shut up you bloody frog! Don't touch Maria!" Maria patted the man's shoulder, "It's alright, Arthur. No need to be super protective of me." She smiled, "Hello, I'm Maria, and you are?"

"Francis Bonnefoy, ma belle fille." He replied with a wink. Maria giggled, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Bonnefoy." Francis chuckled, "No need to be formal, just call me Francis."

* * *

><p>"So, what brought you here, Shellie..." his jade orbs stared in despise directly at the other man's navy blue eyes, "... and frog?" Shellie laughed with a sweat drop. "Mon Cherie, who was that Maria anyway? Is she an acquaintance?" Francis asked playing with his glass of wine. "None of your bloody business you bloody frog."Arthur replied coldly, crossing his arms and legs as he sat on his couch. "But I'm interested in her!" Francis countered, turning his head from left to right. "Don't you dare make a move on her!" Arthur roared, echoing all throughout the room. "Well, if you're not going to tell me who she really is, then I'll really make a move on her." The blonde threatened drinking from his wine.<p>

Arthur clicked his tongue, "Fine. She's my first love." He blushed and turned bright red as he said this. The blonde man with longer hair widened his eyes as he heard the royal man say this. "So the girl's his weakness." He thought, nodding to himself. He grinned evilly which vanished in a split second, "Oh my, how come I just learned of this now?" Arthur scowled and walked across the room to the window, "None of your bloody business you frog."

Francis smirked, "Now I know." He said in a pleased tone. "I'm sorry, what?" Arthur turned around, unable to hear the other blonde's murmurs. "N-Nothing." Francis shook his head and waved his hands in front of him in a denying manner. Arthur pouted then turned his head back to the window. "Well, Mon Cherie, I must go now. We will talk again later." Francis stood up and headed for the door out of the room. Arthur waved his hand dismissively still staring out the window.

"Found it." Francis grinned evilly.

* * *

><p>The door opened slowly making a creaking sound. A blonde man peeked inside the room—it was Francis. The girl inside the room turned her head around to see who it was who opened her door. "Oh! Francis, how may I help you?" she asked with a smile as she approached the man slowly. Francis returned the smile and took her right hand, "Ma Cherie, I am here to talk to you, May I?" His blue orbs met with her hazel ones. The girl nodded and led him to a miniature living room in her room which was provided by none other than Arthur. Francis took a seat across the girl, resting his arms on the chair's arms. "What would you like to talk about?" the girl asked, taking a seat. "Maria, what do you think of Arthur?" the blonde man asked straight to the point.<p>

The girl blushed as the blonde's words processed in her mind. "W-What's with the sudden question?" she said—flustered. "Oh my, that is adorable." The blonde thought as he saw the girl getting all worked up with such a simple question. He laughed as he saw the girl turning an even deeper red. Maria's eyes widened in embarrassment at the sudden realization, she tried her best to be still and prevent herself from flustering. "H-He's... a good friend of mine." she answered, struggling to speak normally. "You don't think of him as anything more than a friend?" he asked.

"W-Well... I... He... He was my first love." Her face heated up at the declaration. Francis' eyes widened in surprise, "Are you serious?" he asked. The girl nodded and looked away in attempt to hide her red face. "This is going to be hard." Francis sighed inwardly.

"I need them to hate each other so much, but how? This is hard. "

* * *

><p><strong>Done! Sorry for misleading you into thinking that it was Vash and Lily. ; u ;<strong>

**For me, Francis and Shellie is more of a sibling-relationship than a couple one.**

**I like Francis x Jeanne 'd Arc**

**Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it.**


	7. Chapter 7: Letters and Proposal

**Seventh Chapter! ; u ;**

**Thank you to all the supporters of this series! I could not have done this without you all! **

**Actually, this is quite a long series. XD**

**Anywho...**

**WARNINGS: Set in an alternate universe. Pairings: Spain x Philippines x England**

**Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya**

**Philippines belongs to me.**

**R & R please! ; u ;**

* * *

><p>He was pacing around the room when a knock was heard from the door. "Come in." he said, facing the door. The wooden door opened and in came an old man dressed in a fine manner, "Sir, a letter from Master Antonio has arrived." The blonde's eyes widened in happiness, he approached the old man and took the letter, "Merci. You may go now." He immediately opened the letter and read it.<p>

_Francis,_

_It's been a week since I left Reino de Espana. I got lost here, but worry not, I am in safe hands. I am staying at a house of a nice local here. I'm not really aware where I really am right now, but I am enjoying it here. I met a girl who is both nice and pretty. She took me in their house. I really like her. I do not know why but, there's a weird feeling inside me. It's like a mixture of happiness, fear, and anxiety. Well, I hope you are okay. Don't worry about me. Also, say hi to Gilbert for me. Gracias._

_-Antonio_

After reading the letter, he took out a pen and paper from the drawer and began writing.

* * *

><p>"Hey! Tan bastard, there's a letter that came for you." A small boy with black hair entered the room with a scowl. In his small hand was a letter addressed to the brown haired man. "Ah," his head cocked up, "gracias, Spratly." He went over to the boy and took the letter then patted the little boy's head. Spratly puffed his cheeks as his eyebrows met at the middle. The little boy left the man mumbling unpleasant words. As soon as Spratly left the man alone, he opened the letter:<p>

_Mon Cherie Antonio,_

_Ah, I am glad to hear that you are safe and in good hands. I never thought you'd meet such a girl. I thought you were not interested in such? Ah~ you are feeling love, mon Cherie. I would like to meet la belle fille when you get back. I said hi to Gilbert for you already, by the way. When will you go back?_

_-Francis_

The man laughed, "Soon." He said with a weak smile.

* * *

><p>A week had already passed since Francis' letter to Antonio arrived.<p>

_Francis,_

_Unfortunately, she had left for the capital. I am still here in her house though. She left a week ago. I am planning to return home soon, so do not worry. I do wish I could meet her again. This is the first time I have felt like this for a girl._

_-Antonio_

* * *

><p>His blue eyes wandered around the couple who was under a tree just outside his room which was on the third floor. He played with the glass of wine on his hands. He stared out the window with eyes full of despise. "Damn thick brows. First he ditches my sister like that, and now he's flirting with a girl who is not even of royal blood!" he gritted his teeth.<p>

Suddenly, his eyes widened as the blonde man under the tree with the petite girl knelt before the black haired girl. The man took out something from his pocket and put it in front of him as he knelt before the girl. The girl's hands reached to her mouth, all of a sudden, she jumped down on the blonde man and they both rolled on the grass. She hugged the man tightly making him unable to breathe yet reveal a very gleeful smile. Soon, his hands wrapped around her returning the tight hug the girl gave. He kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly. They stayed lying on the grass for a moment then stood up and walked towards the lake—holding each other's hand.

Francis' eyes showed hatred. He threw his wine glass on the floor breaking it to thousands of pieces and spilling the wine. "Damn this!" he began throwing things randomly turning the room into a huge mess. "When will you arrive, Antonio?"

* * *

><p>They sat under a tree, taking a rest as everything felt harmonious around them. Arthur stood up and helped Maria up also. Maria wondered why he did this but decided not to question him. The blonde knelt before the girl and took out a small red velvet box from his pocket. He held it before the girl and opened the box revealing a gold ring inside it. "Maria," he started, "A long time ago, I promised that I would ask for your hand in marriage at the right time. I do believe that the time is already ripe. Maria Katalina dela Cruz, will you marry me?" Maria's heart skipped a beat at the man's proposal. She covered her mouth with her hands; tears ran down her pink cheeks. She leaped towards the man and hugged him, "Yes!" she replied, knocking the man down on the grass. She hugged him so tight as if he'd fall if she let go. The man's arms wrapped around her; his cheeks flushed.<p>

He kissed her cheeks and held her tightly, "I love you, Maria." The girl giggled and buried her face on the man's chest, "I love you too, Arthur!"

* * *

><p><em>Antonio,<em>

_I would like you to meet a certain someone whom I think you will surely like. Please head for the capital—Britannia—as soon as you receive this letter. I will be waiting at the Kirkland palace._

_-Francis_

_PS._

_Don't make me wait long._

* * *

><p>A few weeks had already passed since the King of Britannia proposed to his childhood friend. Everyone was busy preparing for the kingdom's long awaited event. The streets were merry; the adults prepared gifts and decorated the whole capital. The news spread fast, it did not take three days for the news to be known to all the townspeople.<p>

Today was the big event, the day their king gets married. Anyone was allowed to attend—well, except for the criminals of course. While the townspeople were busy decorating and such, the inside of the palace was also busy preparing the couple.

"A-Ah! It's too tight!" she said, holding on to the wall. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. It is a must that you wear this." The maid apologized, still tying the back of the corset. Maria pouted and endured the pain. On the other hand, the groom was putting on his best white tuxedo. He fixed the cuffs and the collar in front of the mirror, "How does it look?" he asked the head butler behind him. The butler smiled, "Very good, sir."

* * *

><p>The palace was grand, everyone looked their best today. The king invited his closest friends and relatives. There was a loud chatter inside the palace chapel. Soon, the elegant grand doors opened revealing the bride. She wore an all white balloon dress which had puff sleeves. Her hair was down and she had a jasmine flower on the right side of her head. Her face was covered with a white veil and she held a bouquet of red and blue roses with white jasmines. She began walking down the long aisle slowly as the orchestra played Canon in D major.<p>

The man at the end of the aisle gulped and blushed as anxiety ran over his being. He wore a white tuxedo matched with a black bowtie. Francis, on the other hand, was a bit angered that his friend did not make it in time and that his hated person is now getting married—and he was there. It was as if it was being rubbed on his face. He stood there with a poker face. Finally, the bride reached the groom. Arthur held out his arm, which Maria gladly took with a smile. They walked together towards the altar and sat in front of it.

"Arthur Kirkland, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together according to God's law in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?" the archbishop asked. Arthur smiled, "I will."

"Maria Katalina dela Cruz, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together according to God's law in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honour and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?" the archbishop then faced the girl. "I will." She smiled, a faint blush forming on her cheeks. The archbishop continued, "Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?" Arthur says after the archbishop, "I, Arthur Kirkland, take thee, Maria Katalina dela Cruz to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse: for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy law; and thereto I give thee my troth."

Maria then took Arthur's right hand and said after the bishop, "I, Maria Katalina dela Cruz, take thee, Arthur Kirkland, to my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse: for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy law; and thereto I give thee my troth." Then, the loose hands and the archbishop blesses the rings, "Bless, O Lord, this ring, and grant that he who gives it and she who shall wear it may remain faithful to each other, and abide in thy peace and favour, and live together in love until their lives' end. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Arthur places the ring on Maria's fourth finger of the left hand, "With this ring I thee wed; with my body I thee honour; and all my worldly goods with thee I share: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

The whole congregation stood still as the couple kneels, "Let us pray.

O Eternal God, Creator and Preserver of all mankind, giver of all spiritual grace, the author of everlasting life: send thy blessing upon these thy servants, this man and this woman, whom we bless in thy name; that, living faithfully together, they may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made, whereof this ring given and received is a token and pledge; and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together, and live according to thy laws; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

The archbishop then joins the couple's hands, "Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder." Then he addressed to the whole congregation, "Forasmuch as Arthur and Maria have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a ring, and by joining of hands; I pronounce that they be man and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

After that, he blessed the couple, "God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve, and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favour look upon you; and so fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace, that ye may so live together in this life, that in the world to come ye may have life everlasting. Amen." Arthur then took off Maria's veil and kissed her on the lips—sealing their marriage.

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><p>The grand door creaked open and in came a man with brown hair and green eyes. Nobody noticed his arrival since they were all busy paying attention to the wedding. He stepped in the grand chapel and looked around. His eyes focused on the altar, and widened, "Maria?<p>

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><p><strong>Longest chapter so far! Fuuu... glad that's done. <strong>

**The Marital thing was taken from Prince William and Kate's wedding. xD **

**Oh my! here comes Antonio el matador! XD Joke... anywho... thanks for reading! ; u ;**

**Hope you are all up for more ;)**

**By the way, this is just the beginning~ Ufufufufufu... X3**


	8. Chapter 8: Invitation

**Here's the shortest chapter so far. XD**

**Anywho... I just realized how FLUFFY this is getting... OTL.**

**Should I lessen the fluffiness?**

**Err... Anyway...**

**WARNINGS: Set in an Alternate universe! Pairing: Spain x Philippines x England**

**Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya**

**Philippines belongs to me.**

**R & R please! ; u ;**

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><p>"Ah, Carriedo, how nice of you to be able to join us!" he said with a warm smile, greeting the newcomer. Maria got happy as she saw one of her friends also in the occasion. "Antonio!" she called out, happily approaching the brunet. The man forced a smile upon his tan face, "Maria..." he said weakly. The girl stopped on her tracks and stood before him, "What's wrong, Antonio?" she asked. The man turned his head away, hiding his pained expression. "Have you two known each other?" the blond man asked, breaking the tension between the two. Maria faced her husband and smiled, "We just met a month or so ago." She then approached the blond man and stood beside him—inserting her hand in his hand.<p>

Antonio's eyes widened as anger filled him. "Mon Cherie, Antonio!" a voice called out from behind him. The said man turned around to see another blonde man with a longer wavy hair together with an albino. "Francis, Gilbert..." he smiled. "Oi! Since when did you get here, Tonio?" the albino spoke up with a proud tone. Antonio chuckled, "Just now." He replied. Francis pulled him close to the albino and himself, "We will be borrowing Tonio for a while. I hope you do not mind, Arthur, Maria." Maria shook her head, "Not at all."

The three left with the albino—named Gilbert Beilschmidt, by the way—putting his arms around the brunet's shoulder, "We need to talk." The blonde said in a serious tone. Antonio kept his eyes on the ground as the three of them walked out of the grand palace and into the elegant garden full of red and blue roses and white jasmines. In the middle of the elegant garden was a circular fountain with an angel statue in the middle of it. The brunet sat down on the fountain's ledge and the albino sat beside him. The blonde man stood in front of the two; crossed arms on his chest and a serious look on his face.

"What do you want?" the brunet asked impatiently.

"Do you know the girl of whom Kirkland married?" Francis asked directly. Gilbert leaned back with his hands resting just a little bit behind him to support his upper weight. Antonio looked to his right with a pained expression and meeting brows. "Oui?" Francis asked with a raised brow. Antonio nodded and Gilbert smirked.

"She is the one I hath told you in my letters." He replied. "Oh," the blonde man was intrigued by this, "She is the one you love then?" Gilbert chuckled, "Awesome choice, Tonio!" Antonio punched the albino on his arm, "Yes, she is the one." He replied coolly. The blonde smirked, "Mon Cherie, I have a plan. I believe this might work."

The two men cocked up their heads as they heard the blonde say this. "What is it?"

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><p>"Kirkland, I will not take long here. I will go back tonight to my country." The man said, talking in private with the king. "I understand." The blonde replied. From his pocket, the brunet took out an envelope and handed it over to the man opposite to him, "Please read it and try to consider it." The blonde took the envelope hesitantly, "What is in this?" he asked.<p>

The other man turned around, "You'll know once you have started reading it." He walked away and went down the stairs and into the carriage awaiting him. For one last time, he turned around and gave the blonde a smile and a curt nod. The blonde in turn nodded and smiled back.

The carriage started moving and left the grand palace of the king of Britannia.

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><p>The door creaked open and in came Arthur. He was holding a letter in his hands and made his way to the king size bed of the room. On that king-sized bed was Maria. She wore her loose white night gown and read 'Inferno' written by Dante. "What did he say?" she asked, offering a warm smile to the man. He sat beside Maria and opened the letter given by Antonio:<p>

_To Mister and Missus Kirkland,_

_I would like to invite the both of you to attend the party I will be holding in a week's time. It may be a little too sudden, but I would really appreciate it if the both of you arrive. It will be a simple party on the seventh of the evening of the third day of the week. This event would be held at Reino de España's palace. I would await your arrival._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Antonio Fernandez Carriedo_

"What is written on it?" she asked, curiosity written on her eyes. Arthur closed the letter and placed it down on the side table. He leaned closer to her and kissed her cheek, "I will tell you tomorrow. Sleep tight, love." She puffed her cheeks and placed the book on her lap, "You are not to sleep beside me?" she asked. Arthur chuckled, "I will be joining you a bit later; I will finish some things first. Sleep now, love."

"Arthur!" she called out, the man turned around to look at her. She gave him a big smile, "I love you too, do not stress yourself." Arthur then smiled and went out of the room.

The door shut close; the room became silent. She sat still where she was and stared at the emptiness beside her. How she wished he'd sleep beside her on their first night together as husband and wife. She had longed for this day for so long, now that it was there, it still felt lacking.

Her eyes crinkled up as she gripped the bed cover. She took the book on her lap and placed it on top of the side table.

She went inside the comforter and tucked herself, "Tomorrow's another day."

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><p>Her eyes opened slowly—squinting as the sun's gentle rays spilled all over the room. She sat up and rubbed the sleepiness away from her eyes. Her hazel orbs caught sight of something yellow beside her. It was Arthur, he was sleeping beside her. She giggled at the sight of the man having a bed hair in front of her. She had to admit, he looked like an angel as he was sleeping. His infamous scowl did not have a trace on his dashing face; his thick brows looked relaxed. Her hands reached to his cheeks and caressed them, "Wake up, darling."<p>

Arthur squinted, his brows met at the middle as he tried opening his eyes. The first thing he saw was Maria. Her face wore a gentle smile and her hand still on his cheek. He smiled and held her hand, "Good morning." He sat up and stretched his arms above him.

"Oh, I just remembered," he said, "Carriedo invited us to a party he is holding." Maria tilted her head, "Antonio did? Where will it be held?" she asked. Arthur faced her, "In his palace, in a week." The girl's eyes widened, "_His_ palace? I did not know he had a palace!" Arthur looked at her in question, "Of course he does, he's the king of Reino de Espana." He replied coolly.

"Antonio? A king?" she asked within herself, "Then why was he alone and lost when I met him?"

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><p><strong>Done! *Le gasp!* Why WAS Antonio alone and lost when she met him? <strong>

**Oh! Please review below about this question; Should I put up the lemon chapter next or what? If yes, is it alright with most of you? I mean... err... you know... **

**Thanks for reading!** **Hope you want more!**


	9. Chapter 9: A baby!

**Chapter 9! Woot! Lemon chapter! XD Just as Rindre-Scarlet requested. ; u ;**

**If you're not comfortable reading lemon chapters, please do not read this chapter. Don't worry, you'll not miss anything! _-Except Arthur and Maria's lemon scene! /shot- _**

**Anywho...**

**Warnings: Set in alternate universe. LEMOOOOON! Pairings: Spain x Philippines x England**

**Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya**

**Philippines belongs to me.**

**R & R Please! ; u ;**

* * *

><p>The two of them were sitting inside a carriage on their way to town. Their purpose for going to town was to buy Maria a dress for the upcoming party held by Antonio. They sat beside each other looking outside the window. "Darling," the girl started, "I-I know this sounds awkward... but... I want to have a baby." She pouted cutely, placing her small hands on top of his bigger ones. Arthur, hearing this, got shocked at the girl's declaration. His eyes widened, "S-So soon?" he asked nervously. The girl's face flushed as she nodded shyly. The man got red also as she confirmed this. There was an awkward silence between them for a minute or two which was broken by their arrival at the town.<p>

"W-We're here." He said still stuttering. He went out first then held out a hand to his wife in order to assist her in going down. She smiled and said thank you as she got down. They went to the well-known stores to find their desired outfit.

A few hours of walking later, Maria finally found the one which suited her taste best. It was an off-shoulder ball gown with a large red ribbon behind the waist. The dress was blue; it had laces all over its ends. It was pretty simple actually for a queen, but simplicity was the best for her. They bought the dress and went straight home afterwards.

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><p>"A-Ah! Gently please." She pleaded as she held tightly onto the room's post. "I'm sorry, your Highness. It would not look good if it is quite loose. We have to tighten it as much as we can." The maid assisting her replied, still tightening the corset around the girl's waist. "I swear to god I am never going to get used to this cursed thing around my—Ah!—waist..." she mumbled out of breath from all the screaming.<p>

Just then, a few knock was heard from the door, "Love?" a voice outside of the room called out. The door opened slowly and Arthur peeked inside the room, "Are you done?" Maria still held on to the post as the maid tightened the corset still. "A-Almost... d-done... darling!" she said in a pained tone. The man chuckled, "Please leave us alone." He ordered the maid. The maid let go of the corset and bowed then went out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Maria panted as she slid down the post—tired. Arthur approached her and helped her up, "Are you tired, love?"

"I'm not." She answered sarcastically with a laugh. Arthur laughed also, "I'll do it for you." He made her turn around and once again face the post she was holding onto a while ago. He started tightening the corset gently. She winced a bit but got used to it since it was gentler than how the maid did it.

His jade orbs wandered on her smooth bare shoulders, then down to her exposed legs. He felt a bit tempted to touch her, but he held back to the best of his abilities. She let out an exhausted moan as he suddenly got rough with tightening her corset. "Oh! Sorry, love." He apologized. Maria turned her head to look at the man, "I-It's fine..." she said with a wry smile.

Arthur flushed seeing her body glistening with sweat which made him have a slight hard-on. He licked his lips as he stared at her bare shoulder and legs and heard her silent moans.

Alas, he could not stop himself anymore; he had wanted it for so long too. Now that he has her within his reach, he would not let go of this chance.

He leaned forward to her and kissed her sun-kissed shoulder. Maria was caught in a surprise as she felt Arthur's lips touch her bare shoulders, "A-Arthur?" His hands ran up and down her sides feeling her curves. She flinched as he suddenly licked her ears. He lifted her up and carried her to the bed. Arthur threw the girl on the bed and began loosening his bowtie and unbuttoning his shirt. He felt hot—it felt as if there was fire all around him. He threw the bowtie to the floor and leaned closer to the girl's face. He pinned her wrists to the bed; his knee in between her legs. His jade orbs were in a daze as his hot breath reached the girl's cheeks. "Arthur..." she said almost in the same daze as the man. He leaned even closer, "You said you wanted a baby, right?" he teased. Maria flushed hearing this, "Y-Yes... I did say that." She turned her head to the side in attempt to hide her red face. Arthur sealed his lips gently on top of hers. They both closed their eyes as Maria's lips parted, giving way for the blonde man's hot tongue to enter her lips. He tasted like the earl grey tea he just drank a few minutes earlier.

Her arms wrapped around his neck as her delicate fingers played with his sandy blonde hair. Arthur moved a bit, letting their mouths part for a quick breath. The both of them panted heavily, desperate to catch their breaths. "I love you." Arthur smiled. "I love you too, darling." Maria replied with a smile yet panting. Her arms around his neck pulled him closer to her, "Shall we continue?" Arthur smirked, "Pleasure's all mine."

He then began kissing and licking her neck, her arms on top of his head pushing him towards her. He began untying and removing her corset and other undergarments. She, in turn, removed his polo shirt and also began opening his pants and pulling them down. He was hot, wet, and firm. Hers was also wet. His hand massaged her breast while the other went down to the apex of her legs. She moaned at the suddenness of the action. He sucked her breast as he continued pleasuring her with his hands. He went down slowly reaching the apex of her legs. She could feel a hot slippery tongue enter her and she flinched at this. He continued pleasuring her using his tongue; tasting her everything.

Arthur lifted his head and stared longingly at the dazed girl under him. He caressed her cheeks and smiled at her, "Am I allowed?" he asked jokingly. Maria smiled and nodded in response. Arthur once again sealed his lips on top of hers; she voluntarily opened her mouth to welcome his tongue. As they kissed deeply, Arthur pushed his length inside her making her whimper and flinch. Arthur continued kissing her in order for her not to feel the pain. He pulled his hips outward and began thrusting once again—speedier and rougher than the one before. He broke off the kiss and kept his eyes on the girl's pleasured face. She kept moaning and whimpering with every thrust. "A-Arthur!" she cried out in between breaths.

His hands held her legs apart; his hips thrusting roughly towards hers. His body slammed into her over and over again, bouncing her up and down the bed. Her chest moved as her hands gripped the bed's cover in an attempt to keep herself in place. He was getting faster—rougher even with every slam of the body. She felt pain and pleasure at the same time, but her feeling was more of pleasure than pain.

His muscles tightened as his body felt even hotter. His grip on her tightened as he was about to reach his climax; he groaned as he arched his back giving one last hard thrust inside her releasing a thick hot liquid. Maria moaned as she felt the sudden gush of the hot liquid inside her. Arthur bent forward panting at the release. He was exhausted and drenched in sweat, but it felt glorious for him. Years of waiting, he has now done it. He closed his eyes and fell beside the girl. "Arthur?" she called out in a worried tone, "Are you alright?"

Arthur glanced at the girl and laughed, "I'm fine, just let me rest a while." Maria nodded and smiled back. She laid beside him and wrapped her arms around his chest. "It was painful, but it was worth it." She giggled. Arthur's face heated up, he felt like doing it again. Since they were already like that and surely no one would come in, he decided to continue their 'business.' He lifted her up and brought her against the wall. "Ar-!" she was cut off when he once again rammed his hot member inside her. Her eyes widened in surprise. She was now rubbing up and down the wall as Arthur rammed over and over again inside her. He sucked her breasts making her even more pleasured. She wrapped her arms around Arthur's head; he cupped her ass and lifted her up. Her slender legs wrapped around the man's waist as she kept screaming in pleasure. This time, he had reached his climax faster than the first one. He once again rammed deep inside her releasing his thick semen deep inside her.

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><p>She sighed, "Arthur, you jerk. I'm so tired now!" they laid in bed as their chest rose up with uneven breaths and pants. He laughed, "Well, you felt great, didn't you?" The girl slapped the man's shoulder, "We've been going at it for straight hours! Let me rest." She pouted, covering her eyes with her arms. Arthur wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple, "Okay, rest well, love."<p>

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><p>"How are the preparations going?" the brunet asked the butler behind him. His green orbs staring outside the window and into the dark garden below his room. "Everything is going well, your majesty." The butler replied, bowing to the man. He nodded, "Good. Make sure everything is as I told you them to be." The butler nodded and left the room.<p>

He gritted his teeth as he remembered the way Maria smiled at him when they just met and how Maria smiled at Arthur on the day of their wedding. The man released a powerful punch at the wall as he fell back to his chair, "I won't let it end like this."

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><p><strong>Okay! The lemon chapter's done! ; u ;<strong>

**Fuu... I fail at writing lemons... Anywho... **

**I hope it wasn't too... err... you know... to you readers... **

**Who wants Spain and Philippines to also have a lemon chapter? XD Review please for this question~ :3 If no one answers, I won't post the lemon chapter of Spain and Philippines~ XD**

**Hope you liked it!**


	10. Chapter 10: Wherefore art thou?

**Hello again! Finally an update after that crappy lemon chapter! XD**

**It's already the 10th chapter! Can you believe it? Well... I couldn't! Thank you to all the supporters of this fic! ; u ;**

**I really appreciate all the support!**

**WARNINGS: Set in an Alternate Universe. Pairings: Spain x Philippines x England**

**Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya.**

**Philippines belongs to me. **

**R & R Please!**

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><p>The carriage had arrived at the town, but it did not seem like a publicized party. People had been walking casually by the streets; no hurrying, no preparations, and no music. It was just a very normal day, one might say. From inside the carriage, they looked around the streets as they passed by. Reino de España was indeed a wealthy country. There were not much beggars on the street; the people dressed finely. One certain girl's hazel orbs wandered the streets, her black hair tied up in a neat bun with some loose curly strands decorating her face. "How come he did not tell me anything about his country?" she asked herself in a whisper. The man beside her, who was looking outside, turned his head to the side to look at her, "I think I have heard that he has problems with his position." Her lips formed a small frown, "I wonder why..."<p>

Soon, they had arrived at the Reino de España Palace—Antonio's house and palace. The chauffeur opened the carriage door and the blond man slipped his foot out and stepped down the carriage. He wore a black tailcoat matched with black leather shoes and a black tie. On the right side of his tailcoat was a blue rose. The man turned around and reached out a hand to his wife inside the carriage. She took the hand and stepped down the carriage with her other hand lifting her simple yet elegant gown. The dress was a blue balloon ball gown with a red ribbon around its waist. The laces which decorated the gown's ends made it look even more elegant despite its simplicity. Her face decorated by her gentle smile looked warm and attractive as always.

The couple climbed the stairs elegantly; Arthur wearing his infamous proud face and his wife, Maria, her sweet smile. They continued inside the lobby and into where all the guests were going. Arthur was pretty familiar with the place since he used to go there when they were small.

They reached a grand door with which the music from the inside reached the outside of the door. The man standing beside the door asked, "May I see your invitation?" Arthur reached inside the pocket of his tailcoat and handed the man over a letter with the Reino de España's royal seal. The man opened the letter then made the palace guards open the door. As soon as the doors opened, the most noticeable thing was the stairs leading downstairs to where the party was held. "Mister and Missus Kirkland!" the man announced as the couple just stood on top of the stairs and smiled.

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><p>"I have to agree to that." He laughed in a carefree manner holding a glass of red wine in his hand. "Mister and Missus Kirkland!" they all heard a man announce with a loud voice. The guests, including him, turned to the voice and saw a couple standing on top of the stairs. His eyes widened and joy filled him, the ends of his lips tugged up into a huge smile when his green eyes lay on a girl with blue balloon ball gown. Just as fast as this happened, his lips slowly formed a small 'o 'when he saw the blond beside the girl. His lips sealed in a line as he saw this.<p>

The said couple descended the stairs gracefully. In the party, they were the most eye-catching couple among all which resulted to tons of murmurings as they glided their way gracefully across the room. They had gone to the party's host—Antonio Carriedo. When they had been standing in front of the said man, Maria curtsied, "Good evening, Antonio." Arthur nodded in curtsy. Antonio—despite the hateful scene before him—forced a smile on his face, "Good evening to the both of you too. I am glad that the both of you made it here safely." Arthur smiled back, "Thank you also for inviting me and my wife." Antonio was ticked off as he heard Arthur spout 'my wife' in front of him. Despite him being ticked off, he tried his best to put on a smile, "I see. Well, I hope you do enjoy the party. We will be having an activity later, so please do not tire yourselves out." The couple smiled, "We'll keep that in mind." Arthur replied. "Shall we?" he asked the girl beside him, the girl answered, "Yes." They turned around from the brunet and walked away.

Antonio was enraged by this sight—them walking away from him arm in arm. His brows furrowed in anger.

Suddenly, the girl remembered something. "Ah!" she said as she remembered. "What is it?" her husband raised an eyebrow at her. "You can go on first, I forgot to ask Antonio something." She hurriedly replied then turned around again to walk towards the brunet. Arthur, who was left alone, shrugged and continued walking in the midst of the crowd looking for a drink.

Antonio noticed that the girl was coming back, this time without Arthur. His lips once again formed a smile on his face. "Antonio," she called out, "I forgot to ask you something." Antonio smiled at her, "Yes?" Actually, deep inside him, he wanted to say 'What is it, my dear?' but he could not, knowing the consequences of doing so in public. Finally, the girl reached him, "Why did you not tell me before that you were a king?" she asked directly to the point without hesitation. He scratched the back of his head, "Well... that is because..." he laughed nervously.

The girl tilted her head to the side in confusion, "Because?"

"W-Well... because I was scared." He answered hesitantly. "I thought that if someone found out my true identity they would only use me to gain wealth." The girl looked down, "Oh, I see. Well, I do understand your reasoning." She smiled at him, "Do not worry; I will not say anything about this."

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><p>"Good evening everyone, I do hope that you are having a fine time tonight." He spoke loudly on top of the grand staircase. Everyone's attention was at the brunet who was the host of that party. Standing beside the brunet was a blond man with navy blue eyes and hair that reached his shoulders wearing a white tailcoat and holding a red rose. On the brunet's other side was an albino who wore a black tailcoat and had a proud smirk on his face.<p>

"I and my friends here have prepared an activity for tonight. The activity is called, hide and seek." As soon as he said this, the room was filled with murmurs. Antonio cleared his throat, "In this game, we request that the girls go with the maids over there to hide." He pointed over to the left side of the room where the female maids lined up neatly awaiting orders. "For the males, after the lights are turned off, that is the only time we are allowed to find our female partners." He smirked, "The female you find first will also be the partner you will have later during the dance."

"Now, I request for the girls to leave their male escorts and go with the maids." The girls left their partners just as they were told and went with the maids of the palace. Maria kissed Arthur by the cheek, "Don't keep me waiting." She winked then left along with the other females in the room.

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><p>She found herself walking along with the other females who had left their partners. Beside her was a brunette who had her wavy hair tied up in a ponytail and wore a green dress. The female had a pink flower on the left side of her head. Maria smiled at the girl, "Hello." The said girl glanced at her and smiled back, "Why, hello there."<p>

"I find this game weird yet exciting." Maria started. The brunette nodded, "Yes, I agree. I was left by my partner way before this game started." She sighed. Maria's head snapped up, "Why is that? That's rude." She pouted cutely. The brunette laughed finding the other girl's childishness cute, "Well, he went with his friends. He's that albino beside King Antonio; the one who looks like a big mistake." She sighed in defeat, "Now I feel like I made a huge mistake. Why did I ever choose him anyway?" she joked. Maria giggled, "Well, I do believe that despite his actions, he still loves you." The brunette smiled, "Thank you, my name's Elizabeta by the way. Elizabeta Hedervary." Elizabeta reached out a hand to her whom Maria gladly shook, "Mine is Maria Katalina dela Cruz- Kirkland. But Maria is fine."

The girl's surname caught Elizabeta's attention, "Kirkland? Then you are the wife of Arthur Kirkland, the King of Britannia?" Maria nodded, "Yes, yes that is me."

"Then you are the Queen of Britannia?" she asked excitedly. "Well, yes, but I am also a normal person no matter how you look at it." Maria was humble enough to say this even though she was already the Queen of Britannia—and everyone knew that. Elizabeta all of a sudden hugged her, "Aww... You are so adorable I could just eat you up!" Maria laughed nervously.

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><p>An old man whispered to the host's ear. All the males left in that room waited for his announcement. "Okay, the activity starts in 3... 2... 1!" the lights was turned off and the room was filled with darkness and murmurs. The only light available was the light provided by the moon which entered through the huge windows. As soon as Antonio started counting, Arthur had already prepared himself and positioned himself near the door where the girls went out. Hurriedly, he opened the door and went out in search of Maria.<p>

"_Wherefore art thou Maria?"_

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><p>She walked aimlessly in the middle of the long corridor, careful not to trip on anything.<p>

"_Wherefore art thou Arthur?"_

Out of nowhere, a hand from behind covered her mouth and dragged her inside a room. The last thing that was heard from that certain corridor were her muffled screams.

"_If love be rough with you, be rough with love;_

_Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down."_

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><p><strong>There! The 10th Chapter is done! ; u ;<strong>

**Hope that's enough suspense for all of you! **

**this chapter was inspired by Romeo and Juliet so the quotes there are from Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'**

**I hope I'll be able to update another chapter this long weekend. :3 **

**I think the next chapter's already the Spain x Philippines LEMON chapter! XD**

**Thanks for reading!**_  
><em>


	11. Chapter 11: Who?

**Hohohoho~ 11th Chapter! XD**

**Teehee~ wasn't really expecting it to be this... uh... anywho...**

**WARNINGS: Set in an Alternate universe! ULTRA MEGA FLUFFY! Pairings: Spain x Philippines x England**

**APH belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya**

**Philippines belongs to me**

**R & R Please! ; u ;**

* * *

><p>She was dragged into the room and disappeared from where she was last walking. A large hand covered her mouth and pulled her strongly towards the room. Her struggles were useless against the person's strength. "Shh... be quiet!" the person holding her whispered. She could feel the person's warm chest, she was certain it was male since there were no bumps on the front. She bit the person's hand making that person let go of his hold on her and let her free. Quickly, she moved away from the man and stood on the opposite side of the room. It was dark and the moon's light passed through the window at the room's sides. The person in the shadows kept mumbling curse words in pain. Her brows furrowed as she tried to take a good look at the man to see who it was.<p>

She stepped forward cautiously towards the unknown person. "Who are you? Reveal yourself." She commanded, still walking slowly and cautiously towards the person. The said person laughed, the laugh was very familiar to Maria, "It's me, Arthur."

Maria's tensed feeling turned into relief. Her shoulders relaxed as she released a sigh of relief, "You scared me to death! Why did you do that?" Arthur walked nearer to the girl while laughing, "Did I scare you, love? I just wanted for the two of us to have an alone time." He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her close, "Am I not allowed to do that?"

The girl's lips formed a small smile, "No, in fact, you are very much allowed to do so." She placed her hands at his nape and pulled him close for a kiss. His tongue slipped inside her mouth as both their tongues mingled with each other. Arthur pulled off with a trail of saliva still connected to their mouths. Maria wiped her mouth softly to remove the saliva and so did Arthur. She giggled, "Since you have found me already, shall we go back?" The man pouted, "I want a quickie..." he said in a commanding tone then pulled the girl closer to him once again and gave her another deep kiss.

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><p>The lights were turned back on; the game was finished. The grand doors opened and in came one of the royal couples—the Kirklands. Everyone's attention was on the couple who just entered; they both looked so happy. But there was one man who was not happy with what he saw—Antonio Carriedo. His hands at his sides curled up into a fist. He clenched his fists so hard that it turned red. Gilbert, who was beside Antonio with Elizabeta, noticed this, "Oi, Tonio, don't get so mad so easily. That's not awesome, you know." Elizabeta followed the brunet's gaze which landed on a very familiar girl.<p>

"Maria!" she called out on top of the stairs. The brunette left her partner and began rushing down to the said girl. Maria, seeing this, smiled at the girl, "Elizabeta!" Elizabeta hugged her tightly, "I thought you would never come back! I thought something might have happened to you. You made me worry a lot, you know?" she ranted. Maria tapped the girl's back, "It's alright. I am fine, see? Arthur found me."

Elizabeta let go of Maria and turned to look at the man beside the tan girl, she curtsied, "It is a pleasure to meet you, King Arthur." She composed herself and smiled. Arthur nodded with a neutral expression. "Well," Elizabeta continued, as she faced Maria, "I better go back. I left my partner just to rush to you. He might get upset." Maria nodded and bid her farewell.

"Now that the game is finished, we would like to invite all the couples to dance and celebrate even more!" the blond man announced. It was weird though how Antonio had gone missing in a split second; the only ones standing on top were Gilbert, Elizabeta, Francis and a girl beside the said blond. Nobody even wondered where the host had gone to.

Maria pulled Arthur with her towards the middle of the dance floor, "Come on, dear, dance with me!" she happily dragged him. He resisted a little but gave up to the girl's demand. Together, they gracefully danced in the middle of the couples surrounding them, uncaring of the happenings outside the two of them. They danced happily as if they were the only people in the world.

Soon, the music ended and so did the dancing time. "I need to rest." She sighed exasperatedly, "I will go look for someplace to rest. You can go interact with people." She smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek before walking towards the open balcony. The balcony was huge, it war circular, and decorated with a variety of plants. The said girl walked towards the balcony's ledge. She inhaled the cool fresh air brushing against her petite body.

The music and loud chattering from the inside grew weaker; the garden below the balcony was very peaceful. Everything seemed harmonious in every way you look at it. She rested her palms on the balcony's ledge and began humming a very relaxing tune.

In a split second, her mouth was once again covered, but this time, the person who covered her mouth had a handkerchief with a weird drug in it. She struggled a lot but her eyes slowly drooped down and soon, she had lost all consciousness. Her unconscious body fell back to the person's chest.

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><p>She had woken up in an unfamiliar room, lying on top of an unfamiliar bed which had an elegant crimson blanket covering it. She squint her eyes as she felt a sudden headache. "Ouch... where am I?" Her fingers rubbed her temple as if to ease the pain. She sat up with her left arm supporting her weight. Her petticoat was removed and was placed at the room's side. As she saw her petticoat, her eyes widened in surprise, "Why is my petticoat over there?" she questioned.<p>

The door slowly creaked open, "Oh my, are you already awake, Maria?" she was now faced with a smiling Antonio. "Where am I? Why am I here, Antonio?" she asked confusedly. He laughed, "Do you not like this place?" he asked proudly, approaching the girl sitting on the bed. "Well, it is not that I do not like this place, it is just that, I do not even know where I am; what I am doing here." Antonio smirked as he sat down beside the girl, "You're in my bedroom! Silly." Her eyes widened, "Your bedroom? What am I doing in your bedroom?"

"I wanted to talk to you, in private." He said coolly. Maria straightened up, "Oh, then, what is it that you want to talk about?" The man moved closer to her, his face a few centimetres away from hers, "Get a divorce." He said with serious eyes. Her hazel orbs wavered in fear, "W-Why would I do that?" she laughed nervously as she looked away. The brunet cupped her face and directed it to his, "Because I can give you everything."

She gasped as she heard this, "I do not want material things!" Maria stood up and rushed towards the door. Unfortunately, the brunet was faster than her so he got ahead of her, "Why are you leaving?" He smiled evilly. Maria took a step back and turned around, "Please, do not ask of me these kinds of things. I love Arthur, and that will never change." The brunet's eye twitched in anger, "What part of that fuzzy caterpillar brows do you find attractive?" he raised his voice as he pounded the wall. Maria flinched, he took slow steps forward to the girl; he looked a lot like a mad man. "I am more handsome than him, richer, more charming, more caring, more generous, basically, better than him!"

"But I have loved Arthur ever since we were kids! I like you, but only as a friend!" she answered back, still stepping backwards from the man. Antonio stopped; he pinched the bridge of his nose and laughed, "So you are implying that I stand no chance against him?" Maria bit her lip, "Yes." Once again, the man was overcome by rage; he walked even faster towards the girl while the girl kept stepping backwards and away from him. Alas, she had reached a dead end—she was already leaning on the wall. The brunet laughed, "Now I have you where I want you to be." She pressed her body against the wall, "No, please, Antonio! No!"

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><p>"What is taking her so long?" he waited impatiently as his jade orbs glanced at his expensive watch. He looked at the moon through the window, "I hope she's fine."<p>

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><p><strong>Done! XD Hope you liked that! Though it won't be much of a cliff hanger anymore since I will now post the 12th Chapter!<strong>

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12: The Beginning

**Yaaaaaaaaay! 12th Chapieee! **

**WARNINGS: Set in an alternate universe! LEMOOOOON ALERT! Pairings: Spain x Philippines x England**

**APH belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya**

**Philippines belongs to me**

**R & R please!**

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><p>"That's it, I am looking for her." His impatience got the better of him. He walked towards the huge doors leading outside the room. He left the event without anyone noticing neither his nor her absence.<p>

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><p>"No, please, Antonio, don't do this!" she pleaded, tears running down her tan cheeks. He pinned her to the wall gripping her wrists tightly, "I tried telling you nicely, but you would not cooperate." He licked the tears on her cheeks, "I will show you what I am made of." He unzipped her gown behind and pulled it down. It was only during that time that she had noticed that her undergarments were also missing. Antonio kissed her on the lips and forced his tongue in making the girl cry even more. He went down to her neck and sucked on one of her pulse points, she shrieked at the sudden action. His hands played with her down there, making her wet.<p>

He only needed one of his hands to restrain her and pin her on the wall. He sucked her breasts and played with her. He then pulled her violently and threw her on the bed. She screamed in pain; Antonio ignored this and started pinning her down again. The brunet removed everything she had on. He held her legs apart and started pleasuring her in between the legs. As she craned her neck up, she saw him moving his head up and down. Tears began pouring down even more. All of a sudden, a slippery hot tongue was inserted in her. Her hips buckled; his tongue tasted every part of her. The man licked her love juices, "You taste so sweet." He teased.

Before she could even reply, a big hard thing was shoved inside her. She screamed in pain, he paid no attention once again. His shaft was being squeezed, she was too tight. He pulled back his hips and shoved it back in hardly. As he got used to her and she had already loosened up a little, he started going faster, and faster, and faster. Antonio savoured every lustful, joyous moment he had inside her.

"Arthur..." she whispered weakly as she bounced up and down the bed.

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><p>"Damn, where are you, love?" He walked down every corridor in a hurry. After walking for quite a long time, he spotted a familiar blonde man with an albino standing outside a very nostalgic door. He approached the two, "Oi! Bloody frog and albino!" he called out. The blonde and the albino looked towards the man's direction. Arthur ran towards them, "Have you seen Maria?" he asked. Francis and Gilbert looked at each other, "Nope." Gilbert answered.<p>

That was when Arthur had heard a familiar scream—it was Maria's. "Who is behind that door?" he asked in a serious tone. "None of your business, mon cher." Francis answered. "I just heard Maria scream. I know I cannot be wrong with what I heard. Let me in." He commanded authoritatively. Francis blocked the door along with Gilbert, "A no is a no."

Arthur's thick brows crossed, "I guess I have to help myself in then."

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><p>Her back was turned away from him. She was on all fours. Her body moved to and fro as the man harshly moved in and out of her. His big hands were on her hips holding her tightly. Maria's hands gripped the bed's covers trying to ground her body. Her upper body felt sore and fell down to the bed. Her cheeks and chests rubbed roughly on the bed.<p>

The once fixed and straightened out bed covers was now in a huge mess. Antonio cupped her breasts and pulled her up towards him. His legs spread over the bed as she moved up and down his shaft. She kept crying in pain for she could not believe that she was being raped. Antonio kissed her back and started sucking one of her breasts. A few seconds later, there was a ruckus outside which both Antonio and Maria was able to hear. The door flew open with Arthur screaming "Maria" and Francis and Gilbert holding him off.

The blonde's eyes widened as he saw what the brunet was doing to his wife—to his beloved Maria. Every part of him felt anger, hate, despise, and most of all, revenge. He struggled even harder to get away from the men's grip. Antonio moved faster and rougher with an evil smirk on his face. Maria cried, "Arthur... help me..." she pleaded helplessly. Antonio pulled her face towards his and kissed her on the lips with his tongue inside her mouth. He broke off then licked her, "Do you like what you see?" he asked Arthur who was still struggling. "You bloody fucking bastard!" he shouted angrily.

Antonio gave one last hard push inside Maria and groaned as he released, "She will have my baby!" Maria screamed as she felt him get big and release a thick hot liquid inside her. "No! Maria!" Arthur shouted angrily. He released a lot which resulted to it overflowing. He removed his shaft from her leaving her lying on the bed with blank eyes that stared off into the blank ceiling. She was in a daze, but not the good kind. Tears continued to stream down her cheeks. Her legs were wide apart and Antonio's plentiful release overflowed from within her.

Arthur fell to his knees, "No... This can't be..." Antonio was beside the bed, putting on his clothes. "Francis, Gilbert, let's go." He walked past Arthur and exited the room with a triumphant smirk. Arthur turned around to look at the brunet with eyes full of despise. He stood up and rushed to the brunet with his hands in a fist. "You bloody bastard! How dare you do that to her!" He punched the man with all his might. Antonio fell down with a bleeding mouth. He smirked, "I tried convincing her nicely, but she chose you over me. So I showed her what I am made of; how much better I am in bed than you."

Francis and Gilbert helped him stand up, "Adios, till next time, Kirkland." He turned around and walked away with Francis and Gilbert. "Oh!" he remembered something; he turned around and licked his lips, "She was _deliciou_s." Arthur's hands curled into fists, "You'll pay for this, Carriedo."

He went back to the room and approached the still girl. "I am so sorry, love. I came too late." He apologized as he held her hand tightly. Tears began running down his cheeks, "I will make him pay for this. I promise." He stood up and clothed the girl then carried her down to where their carriage was.

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><p>"Maria..." he knocked as he called out from outside the door, "do you not want to come outside?" He opened the door and poked his head in, "It's a beautiful day to go out." He smiled worriedly. Arthur entered the room and closed the door behind him. He approached the bed and sat by its side. "Love, won't you come out?" he ran his hand down her soft black hair.<p>

She sat in a daze leaning back on the bed's headboard. Her longs black hair behind her, her eyes still in a blank state. She had a cold emotionless expression which no one has ever seen. Arthur became even more worried. It has already been a week since she last came out of the room, and that was the day of the party Antonio Carriedo held.

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><p>Arthur's face cringed as he remembered what had happened on that cursed day. "Don't worry, I promised you, right? I will avenge you, love." He assured her, giving her a hug and a kiss on the forehead.<p>

Maria wrapped her arms around the man's body, her head resting on his chest. "I love you, Arthur." She whispered.

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><p><strong>Here I am again with the sucky lemon chappie... OTL... anywho... <strong>

**I hope you liked it again. XD I bet some people are now mad at me for portraying Antonio like that... ; u ;**

**Thanks for reading though!**


	13. Chapter 13: Black Knight

**Woot! 13th!**

**Anywho... Here's one of the character's you've all been waiting for!**

**WARNINGS: Set in an alternate universe. Pairings: Spain x Philippines x England**

**Axis powers hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya**

**Philippines belong to me.**

**Enjoy!**

**R & R please!**

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><p>For centuries, the Kingdom of Britannia had always been the strongest and the mightiest in the entire world. Not one kingdom stood a chance against it—at least, that is, no one tried to stand against them. Those who tried to bring this kingdom down was destroyed and forgotten. Since then, no one ever tried raising arms against this powerful kingdom—that is, not until now. The eleventh ruler of Reino de España—Antonio Fernandez Carriedo—was foolish enough to dare provoke the current ruler of Britannia—Arthur Kirkland. It was surprising how far he'd go just to make the girl of his dreams his. There were lots of girls willing to be in his loving arms, but for him, Maria Katalina dela Cruz was the only girl.<p>

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><p>"How is it going? I want all of my best warriors to be in this. Call for them as soon as possible!" the blond demanded with his arms crossed in front of him. "Yes, we will do everything to get them, Your Highness." The head butler bowed then turned around. "Ah! One more thing," the king continued, "I want him to be here." The head butler exited the room with a curt nod, "Yes, Your Highness."<p>

His jade orbs looked out the window with a hint of confidence, "With him around, we will surely win this."

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><p>"Tonio," a familiar voice called out from behind the brunet as he walked in the middle of the long corridor of his palace, "I have news." The brunet turned around with a smirk, "Did he finally declare war?" The blond behind him shook his head, "No, not yet. We have received word that he is planning to. He is also sending his best warriors to the battlefield." The brunet laughed, "Then we shall do the same!"<p>

The blonde's brows met at the middle, "Yes, I knew you would say that." Then he smirked and took out a rose and held it near his face, "I will also call out for Gil's and my best warriors." The brunet nodded, "Gracias Francis."

"De rien, Tonio. You do know you could always count on me and Gil, right?" he chuckled, "I will assure you that I will help you get that girl of your dreams." Afterwards, he turned around and walked to the opposite direction of the brunet. The brunet faced forward and smirked.

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><p>The huge doors of the king's quarters creaked open and in came a blonde man in his armour. He had a sandy blonde hair with a few strands sticking up forming a slight boomerang shape. His sea blue eyes wandering around the room, "You called for me, Your Highness?"<p>

Arthur walked towards the mini living room inside his quarters and sat down, "Yes, I did. Take a seat, Alfred." The young man walked towards where the king was and sat on the chair opposite of the king. "What business do you have with me, sire?" he asked with a serious face which was very rare of him. Arthur rested his chin on top of his intertwined fingers, "We are going to war, lad."

The young man's blue eyes widened, "With whom, your Highness?" he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Arthur's brows met, "With Reino de España. I want you to lead our forces to victory. I have seen your talents and capabilities and I do think that you suit this job very well. At such a young age, you have surpassed the capabilities of your seniors."

"B-But... your Highness, I am not as good as my seniors. I admit that I can be quite arrogant sometimes but—!" he was cut short when Arthur raised a hand, "Do you not believe me, Alfred?"

"W-Well... I do believe you, Your Highness. But I doubt that I am suited for this job that you are giving me." He looked down with doubting eyes. The older blond chuckled, "Then erase that doubt and do as I command you, avenge my wife and our country." Alfred's head shot up; Arthur continued, "For our country has been looked down upon by the enemy. They have soiled us and took this country's queen's dignity!" The young warrior's hands curled into fists, gripping the armour tightly. He stood up with a change of heart, "I shall do everything in my power to avenge our country. I shall fight with my utmost power till the last of my remaining breath."

Arthur turned around and faced the boy with a pleased smile, "Go then, lad, for you have this country's prayers. Do start planning as soon as you have prepared a battalion." Alfred bowed and went out of the room with a confident aura.

"The reason why I chose you was because I knew you would do anything to avenge our country..."

* * *

><p>He walked briskly in the middle of the corridor wearing his unusual serious face. As soon as he went out of the king's quarters, he had only one other person in mind—Matthew, his twin brother. For years, the two of them had been training hardly, dreaming that they would one day lead the royal army to victory. Now was their chance, to prove their strength and abilities. His walking became slower and slower, his expression melted into that of curiosity. "Come to think of it, I think I have never seen the queen's face." He pondered for a while as he continued walking very slowly. "I'll think about that later. Got to get to Mattie!" he shrugged then began walking briskly once again.<p>

The door to their room blew open as the young blond made his entrance. "Hey Mattie!" he exclaimed in his high pitched voice, "The king's got a job for us!" Across the room was another blonde; his purple eyes shone beautifully as the sun's rays hit his pale face. He had a much longer hair than Alfred's and a long ahoge. He was Matthew Williams, Alfred's twin brother. "T-That's great brother! What's the job?" his soft voice said in a mellow yet happy tone. Alfred formed a fist and pointed his thumb towards his chest, "We will be the leaders of the Royal army!" he smirked, pride showing in his eyes.

Matthew's purple eyes widened, "Come again?"

Alfred laughed, "We're going to be leaders of the Royal army!" he repeated with a huge grin. Matthew chuckled, "We better do our best then." The other blonde man nodded in response. He stared out the window just beside his twin brother.

"Hey Mattie," he began, "Yes, Al?" Matthew answered. "Have you ever seen the queen's face? Or even got just a glimpse of her?" Alfred asked out of the blue. Matthew laughed, "Well she's—she's..." he scratched his head as he wondered, "Well, I haven't seen her face yet either." Alfred glanced at Matthew and grinned, "Should we find her majesty?" he joked. Matthew shrugged, "I don't know... but sounds good to me!" The twins laughed together, their childish laughter echoing inside the room.

Alfred straightened up, "But I do want to meet her." He smiled. Matthew smiled back, "Yeah, me too."

"Hey!" Alfred exclaimed as if he got an idea, "I'll just ask his majesty if I can talk to her! Then we can go meet her." His dumb, crazy idea made Matthew sigh in defeat but then laugh afterwards, "You are crazy."

"It won't hurt to try!" he grinned hugely.

* * *

><p>"Hey Tonio!" a gruff voice called out to the brunet as he spaced out while staring outside the window. "Oh, huh?" the man turned around to face the person calling out to him, "Oh, it's you, Gil. What's wrong?" The albino named Gilbert smirked, "I just heard of something."<p>

Antonio turned back again to face the window, "What is it?" Gilbert smirked and chuckled with pride, "That thick browed unawesome king is sending for the 'Black Knight' is what I heard." Antonio quickly turned around a faced the albino once again, "Is that true?" Gilbert nodded, "Very true." The brunet bit his lip as his brows furrowed in annoyance, "I'll have to send out my best men too."

He crossed his arms and thought deeply. "I'll help you with that, buddy." Gilbert winked and made a thumbs up sign. Antonio smirked, "Thanks Gil, tell Francis too, okay?" Gilbert laughed, "Of course! It's because you have such awesome friends such as I!"

Antonio smirked and snorted, "Thanks." He looked back out the window and thought of a saying he once heard:

_Beware of thy black knight_

_Whose sea blue eyes shineth with might._

_For when he is deployed,_

_Everything in his path shalt be destroyed._

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><p><strong>Yet another chapter hath been finished! <strong>

**Hope you liked it! Finally! Al appeared! ; u ;**_  
><em>


	14. Chapter 14: Forbidden Love

**Hello guys! Long time no see! or... write... if you prefer ; u ;**

**I'm so sorry I wasn't able to update for a long time! I just want you all to know that I'm still alive! **

**I just had an unannounced hiatus due to reasons. Anywho! **

**Here you go~! Chapter 14!**

**I hope you're still interested in the story! ; u ;**

**ENJOY!**

**APH (c) Himaruya**

**Philippines (c) Me**

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><p>"In my whole life as a knight, I've never seen an army succeed in taking a castle by frontal attack." The man's big pale hands rested above the map of the continent. His long fingers traced the route he was proposing, "I suggest we take them by surprise through the back." The blue-blooded man had his chin resting on top of his fingers as he stood beside his loyal knight. "I see…" he nodded in understanding. The blonde and blue-eyed knight continued his proposal, focusing once again on the map in front of them. "We will surround the area with our army and suggest that we—"<p>

Three knocks came from the door behind them, the blue-eyed man stopped. "Come in." the king commanded. The door opened and in peeked a hazel-eyed person with her small tanned hands holding the door. "What is it, love?" the blonde, green-haired man smiled. Maria? The knight's eyes focused on the petite girl who just entered the room. His eyes widened in amazement as this was the first time he had seen a lady as fair as she. She wore a red ball gown which complimented her tanned skin and hazel eyes. Her hair was neatly tied in a braided bun with a few loose curls framing her face. He gulped at her exquisiteness and sophistication. He could not tear his eyes away from her.

The other blonde man walked towards the lady's side, he took her hand in his and gave a chaste kiss on her knuckles. She smiled back at the man. "Alfred," the king started, "This is Maria, my queen. I believe you have not met her yet, am I correct?"

Maria gave a curtsy, "It is a pleasure to meet you Sir Alfred. I have heard a great deal about you."

Alfred pulled himself back together and walked towards the girl's front. He knelt in front of her with one of his hands resting on his armed chest, "The pleasure is all mine, mi' lady."

Arthur—the king—told Alfred to get up. After Alfred had stood up, Arthur turned to the girl beside him, "Now, what did you come for, love?" he asked nicely.

Maria suddenly remembered what she had gone there for. Her hazel eyes looked straight into Arthur's jade ones, "Please, stop this fight. I do not wish for bloodshed." Arthur was taken aback by her words, as well was Alfred. Arthur's thick brows met, "Why do you say that, love?" Maria looked down, "I know Antonio did something… grave to me. I do know also that you would want his head for that, but-!" She looked up once again at him only to see him have a grave face; a face that wanted vengeance. She turned away from the man, "I do not wish for anyone to be killed just because of me."

Alfred stood there, motionless and speechless. Arthur grabbed Maria by her shoulders and turned her to face him, "I will continue this no matter what. I will never forgive that bloody bastard for hurting you and for even doing that to you." His voice was deep and serious, it gave the girl chills. "Now, if you understand that, please leave. Alfred and I have business to discuss."

Maria tried convincing him again, only to be cut off by a glare from her husband. She looked down in pain and exited the room with a pale face. As soon as the door was closed, Arthur turned back to Alfred with a now more determined and more serious face.

"Proceed."

* * *

><p>She entered her room, sobbing. She sat on her bed and clutched her necklace. The necklace was a silver cross, it was the one given by Antonio before she left him. She could not believe this was happening. First, Antonio raping her, and now this? The two important men in her life, battling, ready for bloodshed, and it were all because of her. More tears filled her hazel eyes as it streamed down her tanned cheeks and towards her red dress.<p>

"Sorry…" she kept repeating over and over. If only she had foreseen what was about to happen during the party at Antonio's, then she would have prevented all this. "If anyone is supposed to die, that should be me… and only me." She whispered, blaming herself for the things that she had not seen coming.

* * *

><p>He turned the knob and pushed the door open. He peeked inside slowly, checking what the girl was doing. He found the girl lying on her bed—fast asleep. The man entered the room quietly, making his way over to her swiftly. He sat beside her and watched her sleep. His fingers glided through her face, removing the strands of hair on her face. Just now, he noticed that there was a trail of tears on her cheeks. It was already dry. He felt a stab in his heart as he realized he had made her cry.<p>

Although it hurt him, he knew that she must understand that what he was doing was for her. He wants that bastard's head because of her. Oh, how he loved his wife.

He slid his hand into hers, intertwining his fingers with hers. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and laid beside her.

* * *

><p>"Mattie! Mattie!" Alfred's high-pitched jolly voice echoed all throughout the twins' room. "W-What is it, Al?" his twin asked, a sweat drop visible on his pale forehead. "Guess what?" Alfred asked happily. "I just asked what, Al." he sighed.<p>

"I met the queen today!" he exclaimed, waving his hands on top of him. "That's great." Matthew chuckled. "What did she look like?"

Alfred wore a huge grin, "She was the prettiest and fairest lady I have ever seen in my life!"

Matthew's eyes widened, he seemed interested to hear more from his jolly brother. "Tell me more." He said.

"Well… I don't know where to start." Alfred laughed, scratching his head. "She had… hazel eyes complimented by her long, silky black hair tied in a braided bun with a few curls to frame her face. Her sun-kissed skin was perfect and flawless!" He continued to describe the lady with passion and enthusiasm. Matthew didn't bother stopping him since he can see how much fun his brother is having. Matthew just smiled and listened to his brother pour out his feelings.

"Matthew…" Alfred stopped, his face turned into that of a sudden realization. "What is it, Al?" Matthew asked, quite confused of why he suddenly stopped. "I think… I think…" Alfred stuttered.

"Yes?"

"I think… I'm in love with the queen…" Alfred blushed as he turned away to hide his bright red face.

His twin brother's eyes widened at the sudden confession. He did not know how to react. How? Why? Of all the people, why did it have to be the queen? It was forbidden for a knight to fall for the queen. What should they do?

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><p><strong>Fuuu! Hope it was worth it to read! Thank you for reading!<strong>

**Please wait for chapter 15~**


	15. Chapter 15: Excalibur

**HUZZAH! Chapter 15! xD**

**ENJOYYYY! :3**

**R & R PLEAAAASE**

**APH belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya**

**Philippines belongs to me**

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><p>"Heh, it's pretty obvious that they would not attack from the front."<p>

"Oui, but mon cher, we must put a decoy. It is important to have the element of surprise!"

"I suggest we still assign a small squadron in front and put the big and strong ones around the kingdom!"

"Si, that is a great plan, Gilbert."

"Heh! Don't you mean… 'AWESOME?'"

"Of course, I won't lose to that… that-!"

"Tonio, calm down, you'll get your revenge."

"Ah… si…Gracias, Francis."

* * *

><p>Six months had already passed since they last saw Antonio at the party. Maria's tummy was already quite large.<p>

She stood by the balcony of their palace, savouring the cool fresh air as it brushed against her. What a peaceful day it was. The sun was up, the people were doing their daily chores, and there was no war. At the moment, Maria felt quite relieved that there was no bloodshed… yet. She rubbed her round tummy with a smile on her face, "Don't worry, my dear, it will all be fine." She closed her eyes and tried not to think too much about the war her husband would soon engage into—after all, it was bad for her and the baby.

All of a sudden, she felt someone embrace her gently from behind. "Good morning, love." A deep yet comforting voice greeted her. The hands of the man landed on top of her tummy gently, making sure not to hurt the baby and the mother. She placed her hands on top of his and greeted back, "Good morning too, Arthur."

He gave her a peck on the cheek and started rubbing her tummy. "I wonder what the gender of our baby is." He said curiously. Maria laughed, "I hope it's a boy, someone as handsome and as gentlemanly as the father." She smiled.

Arthur smiled, "Well I hope it's a girl, as beautiful and caring as her mother." They both laughed at realization of their silliness. Maria suddenly paused, "But I do hope it's a boy…" she said, almost sighing. "Why do you say that, love?"

"It is so that someone would be able to take over this kingdom after you. I do believe a boy would make a better ruler than a girl."

Arthur pouted at the statement, "I don't think so…" Maria's eyes were suddenly filled with curiosity, "And how come?"

"No matter what the gender, if the person was born to be a ruler, then he or she would make a good ruler. It is not in the gender that our rulers are chosen, but by their loyalty, faith, and ability."

His wife sighed in defeat, "I guess… you are right."

He scoffed, "Of course I am!" he jokingly said as he gave her another peck on the cheek.

* * *

><p>A few knocks were heard from the door of the king's room. "Yes, come in." the king permitted.<p>

In came a knight in full black. His armour clanged as he took steps forward to where the king's table was. As soon as he reached the table, he removed his helmet which revealed his blonde hair and blue eyes. He held his helmet at his side and knelt with the other hand on top of his armoured chest. "I have come to report the progress so far, your Highness."

"Ah, yes, please do." Arthur dropped everything he was doing and started listening to the man.

"Armies one to four are ready. Armies five and six though are still preparing. We also suggest that we add a bit more of ammunition in this important mission since the ones we already have would not be sufficient. The estimated time until full preparation would be three months from now. Until then, we must keep training and planning things out."

"I see." The king sighed. "Very well then, I will grant that request of added ammunition. Please do train them hard." Arthur's jade orbs glimmered with hope, his voice dead serious, "I want this mission to be a hundred percent sure win." The knight rose from his position and gave the king a reassuring grin, "As you wish, your Highness."

He once again wore his helmet and started walking out of the room. As soon as he reached the doorknob, Arthur called onto him, "Alfred!" The knight turned around. "Also, I just wanted to inform you…"

Alfred's blue eyes widened in utter surprise, his mind went black, and everything seemed to be… getting really serious.

"I will be by your side in this mission. I will fight alongside my people."

* * *

><p>It was five in the morning, Arthur had already gone up, and he was off to the training grounds. He wore a simple white shirt tied with a brown belt by his waist. His trousers were quite loose and easy to move in. The boots he wore were also brown and made with leather, the same with his gloves.<p>

He went into one of the locked sheds where he keeps his weapons. On the corner of the room was a large treasure chest made of wood and covered with gems. He took out the golden key hanging from his neck and opened the chest. The chest contained a majestic sword. The handle of the sword was made of steel decorated with a snake that wrapped around it. The blade was made of an unknown material that can cut through steel. On both sides of the blade were engraved words. The scabbard, though, was lost long ago.

Arthur held the sword with great care. His left palm was on one of the sides of the blade. He positioned the sword in front of him and closed his eyes.

"My Lord, grant me the courage to bravely avenge my wife. Let this blade of mine cut through the people who stand in our way. May this sword bring us eternal peace and joy, and with this, may all our sorrows end. Amen."

He opened his eyes once again, this time, those jades were full of even more determination. Arthur stood up, closed the chest, and went out of the shed with Excalibur in his right hand—ready to face the enemies.

"Come what may."

* * *

><p><strong>And so it all begins...! (again) xD<strong>

**I hope you enjoyed that :3 **

**Sorry if it's quite shorter than the others... ; u ;**

**Hope you all enjoyed!**

**PS.**

**Yes, I did get some of the real Excalibur's description :3 SOME  
><strong>


	16. Chapter 16: War

**WOOT! Chapter 16! I can't believe it!**

**We're nearing the end, folks! xD**

**UFUFUFUFU**

**ENJOY C:**

**R & R PLEASE.**

**APH belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya**

**Philippines belongs to me**

* * *

><p>Another three months had already passed; it was Maria's ninth month of pregnancy. Preparations for the upcoming war were intense. The war would be in a week or so, depending on when Maria would give birth.<p>

"Love, when do you think our baby will be born?" the blonde asked his wife as he continuously rubbed her tummy with a smile so warm. She laughed, "I don't know. But I can feel it, anytime soon. It won't be long, love." She closed her eyes, her long lashes forming shadows on her chubby face.

The lady stood up, "I'm going to get tea, do you want some?"

"Yes, please." The man smiled. She also smiled back.

His jade orbs watched her in amusement as she waddled her way towards the table. Though a bit chubby, she was still beautiful—breath-taking, even. He laughed, "You look silly, love." The girl turned with a pout on her face, "Do not. You're the one being-!"

All of a sudden, she felt her tummy ache and her heartbeat race. She fell on her knees, her hands on top of her aching tummy. "W-What's wrong, love?" Arthur immediately stood up and ran beside the girl. He noticed that there already was a puddle surrounding her. "M-My water broke! Arthur… it hurts!" she was sweating a lot. They both knew she was about to give birth.

Arthur carried her to the bed and gently placed her down, "Remain calm, love. I'll call for a doctor."

"Hurry!" she screamed as she gasped for breath.

Arthur ran outside of the room and started yelling, "Maids! Call for a doctor, immediately!" Everyone was in a panic; they were all excited to see the baby.

Alas, after a few minutes, the doctor had arrived. Arthur sat beside Maria, holding her hand and telling her it won't be long before the doctor arrives.

The doors opened and in came the expected doctor along with three nurses. "Please remain calm, everything will soon be over." The doctor reassured the panicking Arthur. "Your Highness, may we please request you to leave." One of the nurses asked him nicely. He nodded and obediently went out. His forehead was full of sweat and his face was pale, "I hope it'll all be alright."

He sat on one of the chairs outside the room, anxiously waiting for the news.

* * *

><p>After a few hours of labour, the doctor came out, removing his gloves and wiping his forehead with a clean handkerchief. Arthur, still pale, stood up and approached the doctor. "How is everything?" he anxiously asked.<p>

The doctor removed his mask and smiled, "Congratulations, Your Highness, you are now the father of twins."

Arthur's pale face became radiant, his eyes filled with glee and excitement. His lips formed a huge smile, "T-Twins?"

The doctor laughed, "Yes, Your Highness, fraternal twins." Arthur jumped with joy, "C-Can I go see them now?" The doctor happily nodded. He came in bursting with joy. One of the three nurses held the twins in her arms, "Here you go, sir." She smiled as she handed the babies over gently to their father. He smiled as he watched the two of them sleep in peace. Tears started running down his cheeks.

The three nurses left the room, leaving the parents alone with their children. Arthur sat down beside Maria on the bed. She was still unconscious, but soon, she will wake up. Arthur laid the babies in between both of them. He kissed her forehead and held her hand, "Sleep well, love."

* * *

><p>"Hmm… I think we should name our baby girl, Elizabeth." He suggested, carrying the baby girl in his arms. "Elizabeth Kirkland, I think it's beautiful, love." She agreed as she kissed the forehead of the baby boy in her arms.<p>

"You should name our baby boy." He smiled.

"Well then… I want him to be Philip—Philip Kirkland. What do you say?" a smile graced her gentle face.

"I think it's perfect."

* * *

><p>A week had passed since the twins' birth. Now, it was the time to declare war on Antonio Carriedo, the ruler of the neighbouring kingdom.<p>

His troops stood and marched bravely in front of everyone. Their families bade them farewell. And, just as the king himself promised, he was joining this war. Maria, his queen, stood in front of the palace gates holding their twins—Elizabeth and Philip. She was crying as Arthur bade her farewell.

"Love, please don't cry. I promise this would be all over soon. I will return for you and our kids." He cupped her face and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"You better come back alive, or I will follow you there!" she joked still sobbing, though. He laughed at her stubbornness, "Of course, just promise me you'll stay here and watch over our children." Maria nodded, "Of course, I will."

For the last time, he gave her a deep, passionate, and quite a long kiss on her lips. "Farewell, my love."

He turned around and marched forward valiantly. His cape elegantly fluttered behind him; his sword, Excalibur, shone its mightiest. He gripped the handle tightly; it was also hard for him to leave his family, especially when he sees Maria crying. He kept his feelings inside of him for a while, this was all for their sake.

He climbed his white horse, "Move out!" he ordered. Soon, a black horse with a black knight riding it was beside him and his horse. "Your Highness, we shall carry on with our plans, yes?"

Arthur gave the knight a stern look, "Yes, please prepare for battle. The trip to the neighbouring kingdom will not take long. This will be a short trip, so please tell them to be ready at any moment."

"Yes, your Highness. Hiya!" The knight left and went to the front lines, informing everyone.

* * *

><p>Yes, no one did ever succeed in taking a castle by frontal attack, but the enemies are also aware of that fact. Therefore, their obvious plan would be to guard the surrounding areas more than the front. Arthur and Alfred was fully aware of all this, therefore, they set up a decoy.<p>

Their plan was to attack the front with full force. The surrounding areas would not be taken that seriously. Therefore, they are using reverse methods no one ever expected. Even the soldiers were quite astonished by this crazy battle plan; it was worth a try though.

At last, they reached the boundaries of Reino de Espana. The black knight was once again beside the king. "Whenever you are ready, Your Highness."

Arthur smirked, "Ready as I'll ever be. Charge!"

The knight raised his sword and shouted, "Charge!"

The troops of the Kingdom of Britannia came roaring towards the boundaries. The citizens of Reino de Espana screamed and ran for their lives. Everything in the path of the soldiers was destroyed. In the front lines were King Arthur and the Black Knight.

Soon, they had reached the castle and without stopping, invaded it easily. Their plans worked out; there really was less defence if they did it by frontal. And so, after hours of bloodshed, they were able to infiltrate the castle where Antonio Carriedo resided, leaving their horses outside.

Arthur ran as fast as he could, searching for the master's chamber. As he was running, he saw an old man walking by the corridors. He instinctively ran to him and placed the sword in front of his neck while pinning him to the wall. "Where's the master's bedroom?" he threatened.

The old man trembled in fear, "G-Go up and turn right. T-The last door that you will see on t-that w-wing is the m-m-master's bedroom."

Arthur let go of the man and continued running towards where the man had directed him to. As he ran past doors, he started remembering all of the treachery Antonio Carriedo has done, therefore, igniting his rage once more. He clutched Excalibur, "I will get your head, Carriedo!" he thought as he ran as fast as he could.

Just as the man said, there was a huge door at the end. He busted the door opened and shouted, "Where are you, Carriedo?" anger expressed in his voice and expression. He did not lower his guard and sword as he walked carefully inside the room, searching for his enemy.

Unfortunately, he wasn't there. He walked over by the bed and saw a note on top of the neatly fixed bed. It said:

_Well done, Arthur Kirkland. You were able to reach my chambers. But I bet you won't be on time in saving your lovely wife. By now I must've taken her back from your hands. Don't worry though, I'll keep her safe, happy, and company. Oh, and don't try looking for us, you won't be able to find us. We're going to get married and live somewhere you won't ever know._

_Yours truly,_

_Antonio Fernandez Carriedo_

Everything went blank to him. His entire being was filled with rage. How much of an idiot could he be? He wasn't able to assign the strongest squadron back at his palace. He threw the note and began running back down to where the horses were, hoping he would be able to reach the palace on time.

"Please be safe, Maria."

* * *

><p>"I see you have given birth to twins, mi amor." He smiled, walking slowly towards Maria and her twins who were on the bed. Everything outside that room was a complete mess. Lifeless bodies of their servants lay outside; their walls ripped and full of blood.<p>

She took all her courage and stood in front of the bed where her children slept peacefully. She opened her arms wide, "I won't let you hurt my children."

Antonio smirked, "I'm not here for your children, mi amor." Her anger grew even more, her brows crossed deeper, yet she stood firm. She already knew he came for her.

Antonio raised a tan hand covered in blood, "Come with me, and your children will be spared."

Maria closed her eyes and thought of all the consequences. Tears ran down her face. She lowered her arms and turned to her children. She gave them both a kiss on the forehead, "Mommy will come back, I promise. Mommy loves you, Elizabeth and Philip."

She faced Antonio with a decided expression, "Promise that you won't hurt them."

"I promise." He smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>There, hope you're all satisfied. C:<strong>

**I almost cried in this chapter... WHY? **

**A-Anywho...**

**Chapter 17 will be up soon! C:**


	17. Chapter 17: To Sea!

**OHYEA. Chapter 17 xD**

**I'm seriously planning to finish this fic soon because I already have an idea for the next fic :3**

**anywhoooo**

**aph belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya**

**Philippines belongs to me**

**Enjoy!  
><strong>

**R & R please!**

* * *

><p>"What's wrong, your Highness?" Alfred asked as he saw the king running towards his horse. The king had mixed emotions: anger, hatred, disappointment, and worry. He continued to rush to where his horse was. As soon as he mounted his horse, he ordered sternly, "Hurry back to the kingdom! Our queen has been captured by the enemy!" and then, he dashed off with his horse.<p>

Alfred, more popularly known as the Black Knight, hearing this had his temper ignited. He was in love with the queen and he won't allow anyone to hurt her. But of course, he did know his boundaries. The queen was already married, obviously. He cannot just barge into someone's marriage like that… especially if that marriage is of the king's.

He mounted his horse speedily and rounded all the soldiers who were still fighting. "Hurry back! We must get the queen! Everyone, retreat!" The soldiers each began mounting their horses and dashing back to the kingdom.

"Fuck that bastard who kidnapped the queen!" thought Alfred as he passed the forest in between the two kingdoms. "Al, Al!" his brother Matthew called, "What's happening? Why are we retreating?"

"The queen was kidnapped by the enemy. We were caught off-guard." He clicked his tongue as he realized their mistake. Matthew rode his horse beside his brother. He knew his brother was in love with the queen, by the tone of his voice, Alfred was not pleased—he was angered. Matthew clearly knew what Alfred could do when he gets angry.

"Brother," he started calmly, "Calm yourself down. I know what you are thinking, we will get our revenge. We will get our queen back. Don't worry, everything will be fine. You won't be able to resolve anything if you are angry right now."

Alfred turned to him, his deep blue eyes filled with hatred, "Calm down? Calm down? How the fucking hell will I calm down knowing that our queen was kidnapped, huh?" Matthew's eyes widened in astonishment, usually when he says that to his brother he would calm down, but this time, it was different. He sighed in defeat, "I know. But please, just calm down, seriously."

"I won't calm down until I know that our queen is safe!" he insisted as he pushed his horse to its fastest.

* * *

><p>At first, she wasn't sure where she was really brought. When she left her twins, Antonio blindfolded her, and the next thing she knew, they were on a horse. Now she was sure of it… Antonio had brought her to a ship and she was tied.<p>

The smell of the salt water air, the warm rays of the sun hitting her face, and those occasional rocking of the boat as it hit the waves. She hasn't been able to ride a ship before, and she hopes she won't get seasick. Her ears picked up a conversation, "Capitan, we are four miles away from the shore. If our estimated are correct, we will arrive there by a day or two."

"I see… Gracias."

After a few minutes of loud chattering, she heard footsteps nearing her. She wasn't really sure if she was outside or inside the cabin. She gulped in fear that it might be a pervert. She was having cold sweats. She bit her lip as the footsteps got closer.

"Mi amor, we will arrive soon." The voice was familiar, familiar indeed. The footsteps stopped in front of her, "Antonio, why do you do this to me? Arthur and I didn't do anything to you."

Antonio removed her blindfold and threw it to the ground. He caressed her cheek with a smile, "Mi amor, you haven't done anything wrong to me" And then suddenly, his voice changed into that of a mad man's. He slapped her face and stood up, "but your husband did!" he stressed, "if only you had chosen me instead of that… that… caterpillar-brow then all of this would not have happened! We could've been back in Reino, taking care of OUR children!"

He stared at her from above, "I gave you a choice, me or him. You still chose him, after I gave everything up for you?" He raised his hand, ready to slap her once again. But Maria didn't wince nor cower in fear, she remained firm, "Antonio, we haven't known each other for that long yet. Arthur and I were childhood friends. I have been in love with him since we were small! You say you love me, but you won't allow me to be happy. Why?"

Her hazel eyes started to become a blur because of all the tears that had gathered. Her left cheek had a bruise because of the man's slap. "Maria, do you not understand? I have had so many marriage proposals from different noble families, and I refused them! Why, you ask? Because deep down inside, I knew they weren't for me. I didn't love them; I never did love them." He turned away from her and started walking in circles.

"They were only after the money, reputation, the Reino! But you, you loved me for who I was, not as the king, but as a normal person. You were the first ever person who didn't want my fortune, the first ever I fell in love with."

"But Antonio," Maria sobbed, "I only loved you… as a friend. I didn't see you as a love interest. I'm sorry for raising your hopes up."

"Maria," he knelt in front of her and held her face up, "Just this once, can you not grant me my wish? All my life I have been following orders. Now that I have found something that I chose for myself, will you not give me this? I never… felt so desperate in my life. I thought I had found the meaning of my existence, which happened to be you." Antonio was now crying, he wasn't sure either why, but all he knows was that he was desperate.

"I can never love you as much as I love Arthur. I'm sorry."

"No! I will not let this! We will get married, Maria. Love or no love!" he insisted, standing up and wiping his tears. "That bastardo won't be able to follow us—he won't ever find you! So don't get your hopes up." With this, he left the girl inside the room- still tied.

* * *

><p>The troop had arrived back at the palace, it was a bloody sight, but all they worried about was the queen. Both Arthur and Alfred dashed to the master's chamber where Maria and the twins could have been.<p>

"Maria!" Arthur slammed the door open only to hear the pitiful cries of the twins who were left alone in that room. Arthur dashed to his children, holding them in his arms immediately. Tears ran down his face, "I'm so glad you both are safe!"

Alfred, although a bit touched by the scene, tried to look for the missing queen. "Your Highness, the queen is nowhere to be seen!" Arthur's head rose up, "I know where they are going. Tell them to prepare the fastest ships we have. We're going to sea."

Alfred saluted, and then dashed off.

"Don't worry, Elizabeth, Philip, we will get your mother back."

A few minutes later, everything was prepared for their sailing. Arthur called for a nanny to take care of his twins. He ran towards the dock and started sailing. "If my guesses are correct, they should be at the Mediterranean sea by now." Arthur walked towards the ship's wheel. "I'm driving. Lads, prepare yourselves for a war."

Everyone started rushing, preparing for another war—but this time, at sea. They loaded the canons and started wearing armours. Alfred was again with them, along with his brother Matthew who once again seemed invisible.

* * *

><p>After a few hours of travelling at sea, the ship Antonio was on started slowing down. They were really sure that no one would ever be able to catch them.<p>

Antonio once again entered the room Maria was in; he approached the sleeping lady who was still slumping on the floor with her hands tied to a pole. He removed her ties and carried her over to the bed. He laid her down gently, placing the blanket on top of her and giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. "It won't be long, mi amor."

He went out and closed the door behind him. It was already night time and most of his crew members were asleep.

"You won't be Mrs. Kirkland anymore."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay done. ; u ;<strong>

**Please don't get mad at Antonio! ; A ;**

**This is all just my fantasy! We all know Antonio is very loving!**

**Anywho. the next chapter MIGHT be the last.**


	18. Chapter 18: End

**OHMYGOSH it's the END! ; A ;**

**I won't make this long. **

**APH belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya**

**Philippines belongs to me**

**Enjoy and R&R Please!**

* * *

><p>Slowly, she opened her hazel eyes only to see the tan face of a man sleeping. Their faces were only a few inches away from each other's. Her heart leapt in surprise, it was her chance to escape. She slipped out of the bed, careful not to wake the man up. After she was able to stand up, she took a look at the man.<p>

He was half naked. Although he did look handsome, she cannot guarantee he'd be nice to her when he wakes up. So the lady walked out of the room and closed the door gently. It was a beautiful morning out sea. The sun was shining bright. Oh how she wanted to see this beautiful day with her family.

But there was no time to think of such things. Immediately, she looked for a way to escape. Finding none, she was preparing herself to jump off board. She stood on the edge with her eyes closed, holding onto one of the ropes. When she opened her eyes, she saw a fleet of ships not so far from theirs. Filled with hope, she raised her arms as high as she could and started waving to get the attention.

She squint her hazel eyes to better see the ships. She saw that the sail of those ships had a familiar symbol. On the front of the first boat, there was a figure of a man with a pirate hat on.

Yes, now she knows to whom that symbol belongs to. It was Britannia's. She burst in tears with joy, feeling the hope that she would be saved.

* * *

><p>"Maria, I'm glad you're safe!" the blonde immediately crossed the enemy's ship just to hug his wife.<p>

"I'm glad to see you safe too. And thank you for looking for me, love." She cried as she hugged the man.

"Let's go home, our children awaits." He smiled, cupping her face and wiping her tears with his thumb. Maria nodded.

"Heh." A few claps were heard from behind them, "Well done, Arthur Kirkland. I didn't know you'd be able to find my ship this fast."

"Carriedo!" Arthur shouted in anger, positioning himself for a fight. He signalled for Maria to step back and cross to their ship. Arthur drew his sword Excalibur, "I swear to god I will get your head, Carriedo!"

"Oho~ You want a fight, si?" Antonio drew his sword too, "Then it is a fight you'll get."

Arthur charged first to Antonio. Their swords collided in front of them. "You won't be able to defeat me, Kirkland." Antonio whispered, annoying Arthur even more. The brunet gave a strong push, making Arthur lose his balance and step back.

"I know I will be able to defeat you, Carriedo."

Around them, their crew were already fighting. Maria stood by the edge of the boat, praying for her husband's victory.

Antonio made a swift charge to Arthur, once again colliding swords. Arthur pushed him back. They both held their swords beside them, panting rigorously. Arthur once again positioned himself, ready to strike back. He dashed forward in an attempt to stab Antonio in the stomach. Unfortunately, Antonio was able to swiftly dodge the attack. He took Arthur's sword in one swift move, throwing it on the ground.

Arthur fell to the ground along with his sword. The brunet pointed his sword on Arthur throat, "Give up, Kirkland." He smirked.

Arthur gritted his teeth, "Never! I would never give Maria up."

"Heh, you're quite stubborn, eh?" Antonio punched Arthur in the face, making him lie on the ground.

"Arthur!" Maria screamed in horror. Antonio grinned devilishly.

"This is good. I want your wife to see you die in front of her very eyes. And you will die by my hands, a slow and painful death." He placed his right foot on top of Arthur's weak body.

"Fuck you, Carriedo." Arthur whispered. Antonio began kicking the life out of Arthur. The blonde man was already full of bruises and blood. He was being beaten to a pulp.

"Take that, you bastardo!" Antonio madly laughed as he continued kicking the blonde man.

Arthur, taking almost all of his last strength, managed to get the gun out of his belt. Immediately, he shot Antonio by the shoulder. Antonio was taken aback. He took a few steps back, holding his bleeding shoulder. "Carajo…"

Arthur tried standing up with the last of his strength, pointing the gun towards Antonio. Antonio though, was still quite strong. He pulled out his gun and pointed it back to Arthur. "Heh, it's first to shoot, huh." Antonio smirked.

Arthur who had a black eye and bleeding mouth crossed his eyebrows. "I won't kill you, just give up."

"Never!" Antonio shouted, "I will never give up."

"We both know Maria would not be pleased if we kill each other." Arthur tried reasoning calmly, "Now, put down the gun and we will pretend this never happened."

"No!" Antonio's rage took over him. Tears were running down his face, he was ready to pull the trigger. "I'm sorry, Kirkland. But you have to die here, by my hands."

Antonio pulled the trigger, but to his surprise, he did not hit his enemy.

The blood of his victim splattered on the face of Arthur. His victim fell to the ground, the blood making a puddle. At that time, Arthur didn't know what to think. Everything became blank. His world was ruined, his dreams—his life. They were all gone in a second.

His jade eyes were wide in disbelief. He turned pale, "N-No… this can't be." Tears started to stream down his pale, bloodied cheeks. He looked down and saw the dying body of his wife, Maria.

Her hair was scattered all over behind her. A huge puddle of blood was surrounding her. He slumped and collected the body of his wife in his arms.

"No… I'm sorry, Maria! I didn't mean to do this to you!" Antonio took horrified steps back. Even he didn't want to believe what he did. He shot the love of his life, the person he was fighting for. He dropped the gun in horror. "No, I didn't-!" He started crying. The last thing he felt, was a stab from behind. A sword cut through him, blood came out of his mouth. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, crying as he watched his enemy cry while holding Maria in his arms. "Ma… ria… I'm sorry."

And with those as his last words, he died a painful death indeed.

Standing behind the now dead Antonio, was Alfred Jones. He was the one who stabbed Antonio. Alfred felt rage and sorrow. He knew from the beginning that Maria and he can never be, but to see her die in front of his very eyes was unforgivable. He dropped the sword he used which happened to be Excalibur.

Tears ran down his eyes, he could not believe what was happening also. It was fine just seeing the queen, but knowing this might be his last chance to see her, his world came crashing down.

"No, Maria, please… answer me! Don't die on me, love!" Arthur cried as he caressed the face of his wife. Maria gave a weak laugh and held her hand up to touch Arthur's face, "Love, I'm sorry for causing this trouble… I won't make it… but… please… I have a last favour… to ask of… you…" She tried speaking with her last few breaths. Blood was pouring out of her mouth.

Her gunshot was on the chest, really, she was dying. "No, love… please don't say that!" Arthur pleaded, crying even more.

"Take care of… Elizabeth and Philip… Tell them I love… them…" she was losing her remaining strength. Tears started flowing from her eyes. "I'm glad I met you, love… I just… wish… we… -ad… more time… t' live together… as a f'mily with Eliza… and Philip…" And with this, she drew her last breath and died in the arms of her husband.

Arthur's eyes widened in disbelief, "No… No… this isn't happening! Maria… MARIA!"

* * *

><p>"Daddy!" a small, cheery voice called out. A little girl came running in the room along with a little boy. The little girl had blonde hair, hazel eyes, fair skin, and the brows of her father. She wore a simple yet elegant dress coloured white and full of ribbons. She was indeed very radiant and charming. Her name was Elizabeth Kirkland.<p>

The little boy walked in casually, "Why are you so noisy, Elizabeth?" he pouted. He had black hair, jade eyes, and a not so tan yet not so fair either skin. Of course, he also had his father's famous brows. He wore a loose white polo and a simple trouser with boots. He was very handsome indeed. His name was Philip Kirkland.

Their father stood by the room's window, watching the two go to him. He smiled, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, daddy." Elizabeth smiled. "I just want to hear more stories of mommy! Oh, Philip also wants to hear more of mommy!"

Philip blushed as he pouted, "I-I… I just… Elizabeth dragged me in here!"

"Did not!" Elizabeth teased, "I'm not holding you down, am I?" she giggled.

Philip blushed even more but decided to remain silent.

Arthur laughed, "Well then… let's go to your mommy's favourite place. Okay?"

_Maria,_

_It's been five years, huh? Our kids have already grown so much. I wish you were here to watch them too. I wonder what you're doing right now. I love you, dear._

* * *

><p><strong>I'm also crying! ; A ;<strong>

**Thank you to everyone who supported this, really. **

**Oh, and I'm having a new fic ready. :3**

**I'll post it as soon as I can.**

**I hope you loved this story!**

**Comments are loved~**


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